Experiment 6: Radiation Lab

Purpose: To use a simple antenna made from a short piece of metal to analyze the behavior of electromagnetic radiation.   

Equipment:

• Copper Wire
• Two Meter Sticks
• BNC Connector  
• Frequency Generator
• Oscilloscope

Experiment:

Transmitter to the high frequency oscillator, with free space between the two antennae

 

A transmitter was created by attaching the copper wire to a meter stick with tape. Then, one end to the frequency generator was connected, this create a receiver by having a pluggin at the BNC connector into the oscilloscope.  

BNC connected

The frequency generator was used to create a frequency of 30 kHZ with the amplitude to its maximum. 

Frequency generator set at 30kHz

Change the time/div setting on the oscilloscope to 0.1 ms and decrease the voltage/div until a signal in seen on the screen. 

Oscillator set at 30kM with a max amplitude, with the oscilloscope at 0.1ms

The measurements of the peak to peak amplitude of the EM wave were observed for several trials. 

 Conclusion:

The data does not fit the A/r function as it was expected if it were a point charge due to the fact that the transmitter is linear perpendicular to the receiver.  Therefore, the entirely of the copper wire length must be taken at each dx and consider that instead of a single point source. 

The A/x function has a better fit for the data compared to the A/r^2. Yet, the fit is still not a complete fit. 

The additional A/r^n function actually fits the best.