• Question: What are radar pulses? Are they like waves? Would they harm humans? Why do they come straight back?

    Asked by Zealousy to Chris on 22 Jun 2015.
    • Photo: Chris Armstrong

      Chris Armstrong answered on 22 Jun 2015:

      RADAR was an acronym standing for RAdio Detection And Ranging, now its just a word but I think the original definition helps.

      A radar pulse is a burst of radio waves in a certain direction, and relies on the idea of reflection. There are two primary components to a radar system – the transmitter which emits radio waves in a direction and the receiver which waits for a return signal. Each pulse is made up of countless radio waves that when meeting an object have a chance to scatter, or reflected right back. Most objects are reflective to radio waves and send the pulse back in a similar way that mirrors send back visible light.

      Radiowaves are the largest wavelength waves in the EM spectrum and also the lowest energy waves, as a result they cannot really harm humans.

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