Science Project on “Detecting Radio Waves”, Project Experiment Topics on Light, Sound, Maths, Optical Illusion for Class 8, 9, 10 and 12 Students.

Detecting Radio Waves

Materials Required:

1. An electric shaver
2. A cordless telephone
3. Fluorescent light
4. An electric blanket
5. An electric hair dryer
6. AM radio
7. Personal Computer
8. Television

Radio frequency energy can neither be seen, nor heard. They are caused by electromagnetic waves, which travel through the air. This type of energy is responsible for the functioning of televisions, radio, cordless phones and walkie-talkies to name a few.

However, there are many things which give off radio frequency, even though they are not expected to. Electric motors often produce radio frequency while in motion, for example. These sources of energy may cause disturbance with other objects using radio frequencies, like radio sets or even television for that matter.

In this experiment, we shall try to see which are the things around your home that emit radio frequency energy. We shall check an electric shaver, a fluorescent light, an electric blanket, an electric hair dryer, a personal computer and also an AM radio, along with a television. As radio frequencies cannot be seen, we need to use a radio as a detector, to help us unearth these elements.

We shall take the help of a radio to detect this type of energy, as they cannot be seen or heard normally.

To begin, take an AM portable radio and tune it in such a manner that no station can be heard. Now slowly keep bringing each object towards the radio. You can take an electric shaver, a hair dryer, a personal computer and also a television (the volume of the television must be turned down).

Please note down whatever you observe on the radio and most importantly, record what kind of noise you hear. For example, you should note down whether it was a humming or a crackling sound.

Keep searching for more appliances in your house or at your school that can be used in the experiment and decipher whether they contain any radio frequency energy.

Creating Radio Waves

Having understood how sound is transmitted, you can try it out as an experiment. Take a small radio and switch it on and increase the volume slightly. Cut a short piece of wire and peel the insulation from both the ends. Take a steel file as shown in the picture below and connect one end of this file, using a piece of wire and some insulation tape, to the positive terminal of a battery. Take another piece of wire and after peeling the insulation from both the ends, connect one end to the negative terminal of the battery with a piece of insulation tape.

Now scrape the loose end of the wire all along the file, as shown below. You will see small sparks, and you will hear noises on the radio as you scrape the wire. As you scrape the wire on the file, short bursts of radio waves are sent out. The radio set pick up these waves and convert them into sounds.