Audience
Educators
Grade Levels
Grades K-4, Grades 5-8
Subject
Technology, Solar System and Planets, Communication
Type
Lesson Plans / Activities
Students are introduced to the terms “signal” and “noise” in the context of spacecraft communication. They explore these concepts by listening to a computer-generated signal from two different distances with no additional background noise, and then with background noise. They compare their experiences in a science journal page.
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Understand the terms “signal” and “noise” in the context of spacecraft communications.
- Compare the apparent volume of a signal at different distances from the source.
- Compare the apparent volume of a signal at different distances from the source with the addition of background noise.
Signals and Noise, Oh Boy! [827KB PDF file]
See also:
Earth Calling…
Signals and Noise Ratio