Article
Article
Directivity
Article By:
Cramer, William S. Ship Acoustics Department, Naval Ship Research and Development Center, Washington, DC.
Last reviewed:January 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.199600
The general property of directional discrimination displayed by systems that receive or emit waves. Thus, loudspeakers, microphones, radio antennas, underwater sound projectors, hydrophones, and even telescopes all have the common property that their effectiveness depends upon the direction from which the wave is either emitted or received. The manner in which a sender or receiver is directional depends largely upon its geometrical shape and, in particular, upon its dimensions compared to those of the wavelength involved (λ).
The content above is only an excerpt.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information
