Lesson Plan: Electromagnetic Waves for Communication Physics
This lesson plan includes the objectives, prerequisites, and exclusions of the lesson teaching students how to describe the application of different types of electromagnetic waves to various communications technologies.
Objectives
Students will be able to
- describe how the motion of electrons in transmitters is associated with the generation of electromagnetic waves,
- describe how long radio waves and how short radio waves interact with Earth’s atmosphere to enable communication beyond line-of-sight distances,
- recall that ground-emitted microwaves can escape Earth’s atmosphere,
- recall that visible light and infrared radiation can be used in optical communication cables.
Prerequisites
Students should already be familiar with
- the wavelength ranges of types of electromagnetic waves within the electromagnetic spectrum.
Exclusions
Students will not cover
- any calculations related to electromagnetic waves.