Encarta Worksheet
Instructions
The answers to all these questions can be found by investigating the Communications Collage in Microsoft Encarta.To find it: first launch Encarta and choose to explore the articles. You can use the Pinpointer to find the entry on Communication. You will be able to view the collage from there.
You will need to explore several entries within the collage to answer the following questions
Morse Code and Telegraphy
Why do we use dots and dashes to represent letters in Morse Code?
Why could Morse originally only send signals for about 32km? How did he and his associates overcome this problem?
Transatlantic Telegraphy
Why was international telegraphy important to world powers of the 19th Century?
When was the first Transatlantic telegraph cable laid?
Communicating with Flags
What does the following message say?
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How long would it take for a message from Paris take to reach Brest by semaphore?
Invention of the Telephone
Why was Elisha Gray annoyed by Alexander Graham Bell's invention of the telephone?
What are the main parts of a telephone, and how do they work together to enable you to make a phone call?
The Inventor of Radio
Who was the first person to send signals by radio?
How old was he when he first became interested in wireless telegraphy?
Radio
What are the frequency and wavelength of VHF radio waves?
What moving parts would you find in a radio receiver?
Television
When did the first public television broadcast take place?
What delayed the introduction of colour television to replace monochrome (black and white) TV?
Cellular Telephones
What are the "cells" of a cellular telephone network?
Why can you move around when talking to someone on a cellular phone?
Communications Satellites
What is a geosynchronous orbit, and why is it useful for a communications satellite to be in one?
What are some of the services provided by a communications satellite?
Internet
What are some of the most important challenges facing the future development of the internet?
Who was responsible for the development of the World Wide Web? Why did he create it?