Plumbing the Deep - Using Sound Waves to See
Figure 1. Dolphins use echolocation to "see" under the water. In this photograph, a dolphin helps the soldier find mines under the water.Copyright U.S. Department of State, http://www.state.gov/
Students learn about echolocation: what it is and how engineers use it to "see" things in the dark, or deep underwater. They also learn how animals use echolocation to catch their meals and travel the ocean waters and skies without running into things.
Obviously, we need to know where things are in order to function. And, many times we need to be able to "see" something even when it is dark outside or something is far away and obstructed, by the ocean or clouds, for example. Engineers have learned from nature how to use sound and radio waves to locate objects. This technology is called SONAR (SOund wave Navigation And Ranging) and RADAR (RADio wave navigation And Ranging).
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Explain the basics of echolocation.
- Give an example of an echolocation application.