My Science School

You must have heard of planes and ships being located by radar, but what exactly is radar? It is a scientific method to detect and locate moving or fixed objects by using radio waves. In fact, the full form of the word ‘radar’ is ‘radio detection and ranging’. Radar can detect the distance, height, direction and speed of objects that are much too far for us to see. It does this by sending radio waves towards an object, and receiving the waves that are reflected from an object. The time it takes for the reflected waves to return from an object tells us how far away it is. The direction from which the reflected waves return tells us where the object is located.Radar can find anything from tiny insects to huge mountains. It is extremely useful as it works at night too and is not affected by the weather. In fact, it is used by weather departments to make forecasts. Radar is used to control the movement of aircraft and ships, and even to catch your father if he is over speeding!