Waves in Technology & Communication
📋 What it is
From sonar to MRI to fibre optics, wave science drives huge parts of modern technology.
🗣️ Coach says
Wave tech is everywhere. Sonar maps the seafloor with sound echoes; ultrasound and MRI image the body; microwaves heat food; fibre optics carry the internet as light; radar tracks planes and storms. Each device is a clever use of how waves travel, bounce, or resonate.
🧠 Memory hook
Sonar (sound echo) · ultrasound/MRI (imaging) · microwaves (heat) · fibre (internet) · radar (tracking).
😂 Giggle
Why did the resonance feel powerful?
Because it built up energy by vibrating at EXACTLY the right frequency!
😲 Whoa!
A microwave oven heats food by using EM waves tuned to make water molecules vibrate — the food cooks from its own jiggling molecules.
✅ Quick check: How does sonar measure the depth of the ocean?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
It sends a sound pulse down and times the echo bouncing back — longer delay means deeper water.
Sonar uses reflected sound and travel-time to measure distance.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Clap in a big room and count how long the echo takes — that’s the idea behind sonar and radar.