How Sensors Work

How Sensors Work — page 1 — Dedicated to my writing group Betty Linda June Kristy and Amy V C

How Sensors Work — page 2 — CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 5 CHAPTER ONE HUMAN SENSORS 6 CHAPTER TWO THE SCIENCE OF SOUND 10 CHAPTER THREE THE SCIENCE OF SIGHT 18 CHAPTER FOUR TOUCH SMELL AND TASTE 24 CHAPTER FIVE SUPER SENSES 30 EXPERIMENT REMOTE REFLECTION 34 Solve It Answer Key 35 Glossary 36 Selected Bibliography 37 Further Information 38 Index 39

How Sensors Work — page 3 — Researchers can place sensors inside a football player’s helmet or other gear to measure the strength of the hits he takes during a game

How Sensors Work — page 4 — INTRODUCTION You walk into a store with your parents Like magic the doors open before you reach them You go to the back of the store to use the restroom The lights brighten on their own When you join your parents at the checkout lane the clerk is passing items by a scanner It records the items and their price Your parents pay for the groceries with a credit card The credit card scanner reads the information on the card and the transaction is approved All these events work because of sensors These devices usually function behind the scenes in electronics we use every day so we often don’t even know when they are there But sensors are important for more than just garage door openers or automatic toilets Sensors can monitor a medical patient’s brain or heart activity detect a hard hit to a football player and even keep track of astronauts exposure to radiation during spaceflights Sensors detect and respond to input from the environment The input may be light heat motion or other things that can be measured Sensors can help us monitor the environment keep us safe and make life a little easier 5

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