Radio and Electronics
What are silicon chips?
A silicon chip is a tiny wafer of silicon (a semiconductor) on which a complete electronic device can be produced. An image is produced photographically and etched onto the chip, but it differs from a printed circuit in some important ways. The chip is often microscopically small and contains huge amounts of ‘wiring’. More importantly, part of the process allows other devices to be produced in the manufacturing process, such as tiny resistors and capacitors. So a silicon chip, or integrated circuit, which measures just a few millimeters across, is a complete electronic device.
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How do computers work?
A computer is a device for processing information very rapidly and accurately. It processes words, pictures, sounds and numbers, and some computers can make billions of calculations per second. Most computers are digital, which means that they convert all the data, or information, entering the computer into the digits 0 or 1.
The heart of a computer is a microprocessor, which contains millions of tiny electronic devices on a silicon chip. Other chips form the computer’s memory, where information is stored until needed. Computers vary from small hand-held devices to desktop computers. Large computers used in industry and for military purposes are called mainframe computers.
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How does radar work?
Radar works by sending out a beam of high- frequency radio waves, which are reflected back when they strike a solid object. The radio waves can also be reflected by clouds or other weather features. The reflected waves are collected and used to produce an image. Usually the radar beam is emitted from a rotating scanner, so a complete 360° image is produced. Radar is important in the navigation of ships, aircraft, and weather forecasting.
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