Composition > Illustrative Essay On Radio

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SUMMARY

The forum discussion centers on the composition of an illustrative essay about electromagnetism and its historical significance in wireless communication, specifically focusing on the invention of the radio. The essay is structured into an introduction, three main sections, and a conclusion, highlighting key figures such as Volta, Galvani, Orsted, Faraday, Hertz, Tesla, and Marconi. The discussion emphasizes the importance of foundational concepts like the Leyden jar and the superheterodyne system, while also addressing the need for a clear thesis statement to unify the essay's themes.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of electromagnetism and its historical context
  • Familiarity with key inventors: Volta, Galvani, Orsted, Faraday, Hertz, Tesla, and Marconi
  • Knowledge of the Leyden jar and its limitations
  • Awareness of radio technology, particularly the superheterodyne system
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the historical contributions of Edwin Howard Armstrong to radio technology
  • Explore the principles of electromagnetic waves as discovered by Heinrich Hertz
  • Study the evolution of wireless communication from early experiments to modern applications
  • Investigate the relationship between electricity and magnetism as outlined by Ampere and Joseph Henry
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for students, educators, and writers interested in the history of science and technology, particularly those focusing on electromagnetism and its impact on communication systems.

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Composition > Illustrative Essay On "Radio"

Goal: 2-3 page essay on a topic of your choice. Must provide relevant photo's.

My topic of choice is electromagnetism. I chose this topic because we live in a wireless age. I thought it'd be neat to provide some back round info on how it all started.

I want to break my paper down as follows,

Intro

I. Invention/discovery of the 1st true electrical storage device (Volta VS Galvani)

II. Discovery of electromagnetism (Orsted/Faraday)

III. ?

Conclusion


The dispute between Galvani & Volta is just too interesting to leave out. Plus I can take it a step further & show how "Galvanism" inspired Mary Shelley to write Frankenstein. I need tangibility. She thinks I'm too cryptic & confusing.

I'm not sure what to do for paragraph III. Dedicate it to Marconi? After all, it was he who took "hertzian waves" out of the laboratory & into the real world.

Lastly, "radio" may seem a bit outdated by today's standards. But it was the 1st "form" of wireless communication. The point I want to make here is not much has changed. ...okay I take that back! I mean the principle of induction has not changed.

Comments?

"Marconi plays the mamba, listen to the radio"

^Some more tangibility. Everyone knows this song. I know Van Morrison has "brown eyed girl" (...transistor radio), but I'm stopping around the branly/coherer, so that'd be a bit irrelevant.
 
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Under (I) you should start with the Leyden jar; then note its shortcomings (limited current, changing voltage) which is why little progress was made until the invention of the battery.

(II) And don't forget Ampere and Joseph Henry! - they all worked on the connections between electricity and magnetism.

(III) Hertz discovered electromagnetic waves; Tesla and Marconi both invented early radios - but the most significant step was the invention of the super heterodyne system (AM radio) by Armstrong:
http://antiqueradios.com/superhet/

Armstrong later invented FM. His life was one long patent battle ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Howard_Armstrong
 
We're all familiar with it; the hair on your hood straight from the dryer, a tingle on the tongue, the sudden, almost instantaneous discharge of a door handle after a swift walk across the carpet floor. It's a mysterious force-electricity. Tales of it's ___________ date back to ______________.

(Ancient Greece > Thales > lodestone & amber)

(Insert thesis here)

(Bridge to paragraph I)

I'm stuck on a thesis. Hmm...

"...though Thales had no idea this phenomena (amber & lodestones' "mysterious" properties) was actually just two manifestations of the same thing (electromagnetism)..."

That's not right either though. Amber; that's the electrostatic force.

"...Lodestone could be held in the hand, it's effects repeated at will. Amber on the other hand, was difficult to study > Instantaneous shocks. It would take another "x" years before a continuous/constant source of electricity would be invented ...that'd unify these thought to be two different forces of nature..."

"...Thales began studying amber/lodestone > he knew both had attractive forces, but if lodestone attracts iron, then why must amber not? & then I could bridge into the "continuous/constant" source of electricity (leyden/pile) that would come "x" yrs later that'd unify the sources together

& I need to somehow foreshadow the invention (discovery) of radio. "...revolutionize our modern world?" "would spark a revolution in wireless communication...

blah.
 
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