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radar

radar

A radio antenna sends out a stream of radio waves (light gray). When they reach the airplane, they bounce off of it and send reflected waves (dark gray) back to a receiver in the antenna. The reflected waves are then processed electronically and analyzed to determine the airplane's distance, speed, and position. An image of the airplane is sometimes also generated.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

A policeman using a radar gun.

A policeman using a radar gun.

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