Article
Article
Radar
Article By:
Hill, Robert T. Consultant in Radar, Bowie, Maryland.
Last reviewed:January 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.565700
An acronym for radio detection and ranging, the original and basic function of radar. The name is applied to both the technique and the equipment used. Radar is a sensor; its purpose is to provide estimates of certain characteristics of its surroundings of interest to a user, commonly the presence, position, and motion of aircraft, ships, or other vehicles in its vicinity. In other uses, radars provide information about the Earth's surface (or that of other astronomical bodies) or about meteorological conditions. To provide the user with a full range of sensor capability, radars are often used in combinations or with other elements of the complete system.
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
