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Radar facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Radar antenna
Picture of a large radar antenna

Radar is a machine that uses radio waves for echolocation to find objects such as aircraft, ships, and rain.

The basic parts of a radar are:

  • The transmitter creates the radio waves.
  • The antenna directs the radio waves.
  • The receiver measures the waves which are bounced back by the object.

By doing this, the radar can locate the object. Radar is used in many different ways. It can measure the speed and number of cars on a road, the amount of water in the air, and many other things.

Radar was first used in 1904 by Christian Hülsmeyer. He was given a patent for radar (Reichspatent Nr. 165546). It became commonplace during World War II.

The word RADAR was created in 1942 as an acronym for Radio Detection and Ranging. This acronym replaced the British initialism RDF (Radio Direction Finding). The word is now thought of by many people as a regular word, no longer as an acronym.

The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) use several kinds of radar:

  • ARSR (Air Route Surveillance Radar)
  • ASR (Airport Surveillance Radar)
  • ASDE (Airport Surface Detection Equipment)
  • TDWR (Terminal Doppler Weather Radar)
  • PAR (Precision Approach Radar)

Images for kids

  • Early radar antenna - US Naval Research Laboratory Anacostia

    Experimental radar antenna, US Naval Research Laboratory, Anacostia, D. C., from the late 1930s (photo taken in 1945).

  • Watson Radar

    The first workable unit built by Robert Watson-Watt and his team

  • Chain home

    A Chain Home tower in Great Baddow, Essex, United Kingdom

  • Watson watt 02 fr

    Memorial plaque commemorating Robert Watson-Watt and Arnold Wilkins

  • Rotating marine radar - rotating waveguide antenna

    Commercial marine radar antenna. The rotating antenna radiates a vertical fan-shaped beam.

  • 3D Doppler Radar Spectrum showing a Barker Code of 13

    3D Doppler radar spectrum showing a Barker Code of 13

  • Weather radar

    Brightness can indicate reflectivity as in this 1960 weather radar image (of Hurricane Abby). The radar's frequency, pulse form, polarization, signal processing, and antenna determine what it can observe.

  • Radaroperation

    Pulse radar: The round-trip time for the radar pulse to get to the target and return is measured. The distance is proportional to this time.

  • Pulse doppler signal processing

    Pulse-Doppler signal processing. The Range Sample axis represents individual samples taken in between each transmit pulse. The Range Interval axis represents each successive transmit pulse interval during which samples are taken. The Fast Fourier Transform process converts time-domain samples into frequency domain spectra. This is sometimes called the bed of nails.

  • Electronics Technician - Volume 7 - Figure 2-48

    AS-3263/SPS-49(V) antenna (US Navy)

  • SPS-10 radar antenna on a Knox class frigate

    Surveillance radar antenna

  • Radar antennas on USS Theodore Roosevelt SPS-64

    Slotted waveguide antenna

  • PAVE PAWS Radar Clear AFS Alaska

    Phased array: Not all radar antennas must rotate to scan the sky.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Radar para niños

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