Capturing and Transmitting Information

Front

Sound Waves Noun

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[sound wayvs]

Back

Sound Waves

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Longitudinal compression waves traveling through a medium, such as air, that can be converted into electrical signals.

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Example: This diagram shows a sound wave as traveling areas of high pressure (compression) and low pressure (rarefaction), and graphs its properties like wavelength and amplitude.

Front

Microphone Noun

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[my-kruh-fohn]

Back

Microphone

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A device that converts sound waves into analog electrical signals through the relative motion of a magnet and coil.

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Example: This image shows many different types of microphones, which are tools used to capture sound, but does not explain how they work.

Front

Transduction Noun

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[trans-duk-shun]

Back

Transduction

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The fundamental process of converting energy from one form to another, such as sound energy to electrical energy.

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Example: This diagram shows a generator, which is a device that performs transduction by converting mechanical energy (the spinning wire coil) into electrical energy.

Front

Photodetectors Noun

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[foh-toh-di-tek-terz]

Back

Photodetectors

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An array of semiconductor devices that generate electrical signals in response to being struck by light waves.

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Example: This diagram shows rod and cone cells, the eye's photodetectors. They capture light information and convert it into signals for the brain.

Front

Pixel Noun

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[pik-suhl]

Back

Pixel

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The smallest individual element of a digital image, which represents a single point of specific color and brightness.

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Example: This image shows a picture made of small, colored squares, demonstrating that a digital image is built from many individual points called pixels.

Front

Voxel Noun

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[vok-suhl]

Back

Voxel

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A value on a regular grid in three-dimensional space, representing a single point within a 3-D image.

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Example: These characters are built from many small 3D cubes called voxels, which are like pixels but for three-dimensional space.

Front

Zoopraxiscope Noun

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[zoh-uh-prak-si-skohp]

Back

Zoopraxiscope

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An early projection device used to display a sequence of images in rapid succession to create the illusion of motion.

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Example: This image shows a series of still photographs of a galloping horse. When viewed in rapid succession with a zoopraxiscope, they create the illusion of movement.

Front

X-rays Noun

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[eks-rayz]

Back

X-rays

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A form of high-energy, ionizing electromagnetic radiation that can penetrate human tissue to produce images of bones.

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Example: This diagram shows the electromagnetic spectrum, placing X-rays between gamma rays and ultraviolet light to illustrate their specific wavelength relative to other types of waves.

Front

Ionizing Radiation Noun

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[ahy-uh-nahy-zing ray-dee-ey-shun]

Back

Ionizing Radiation

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Radiation with enough energy to remove electrons from atoms, which can be harmful to living tissue.

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Example: High-energy radiation strikes an atom and has enough force to knock an electron out of its orbit, turning the neutral atom into a charged ion.

Front

Computerized Tomography (CT Scan) Noun

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[kom-pyoo-ter-ahyz-d toh-mog-ruh-fee]

Back

Computerized Tomography (CT Scan)

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An imaging technique combining a series of X-ray images from multiple angles to create a composite 3-D image.

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Example: This image shows a 3D terrain map created by a computer. The different colors represent different height "slices," similar to how a CT scanner uses X-ray slices to build a 3D image of the body.