Dbq Essay On Microwaves

The History of Microwave Radiation, its Common Uses, and its Effects on Human Anatomy

Overview Beyond our earthbound lives exists a firmament of endless wonder, filled with waves and particles unfathomable to the human eye. Ultraviolet, infrared, and radio waves permeate our atmosphere from beyond our space and time. These include microwaves. From their origins at the Big Bang, the pulses of these waves can still be observed to this day. This primordial radiation can be utilized for multiple things, from cooking food to military radar. Despite this, direct exposure may be harmful to organic life. The exact effects of prolonged exposure to radiation may depend on the form and frequency of said radiation. Regardless, ancient light, in the form of microwaves, blesses our daily lives, while simultaneously providing an unseen risk. Multiple forms of radiation can be found in our everyday lives. We, as a society, have harnessed these waves for technological improvements over recent history; the last two centuries have seen a stark increase in technologies using different forms of radiation. For example, the late 19th Century saw the discovery and study of radio waves. While being studied by Heinrich Rudolf Hertz, these waves donned the title of “Hertz Waves” (Doc, “How Henrich Hertz Discovered Radio Waves”). Radio waves are now used in a

Radio waves exist in a frequency range of 3 kHz (kilohertz) to 300 GHz (gigahertz). Microwaves take up the higher intensities of this range, from 300 MHz (megahertz) to 300 GHz, however, commercial microwave ovens usually average around 2.45 GHz. (Cheung, “Frequency of a Microwave”). Because microwaves are simply intense radio waves, they can be used for communications, just as radio waves can. In fact, the waves used for cell phones and wireless internet are actually microwaves. The versatility of microwaves can range from garage door openers to particle