Question

Should the straight wire antenna of a radio be vertical or horizontal to best receive radio waves broadcast by a vertical transmitter antenna? How should a loop antenna be aligned to best receive the signals? (Note that the direction of the loop that produces the best reception can be used to determine the location of the source. It is used for that purpose in tracking tagged animals in nature studies, for example.)

a) The straight wire antenna should be vertical, and the loop antenna should be aligned parallel to the ground.

b) The straight wire antenna should be horizontal, and the loop antenna should be aligned perpendicular to the ground.

c) The straight wire antenna should be vertical, and the loop antenna should be aligned perpendicular to the ground.

d) The straight wire antenna should be horizontal, and the loop antenna alignment does not matter.

Answer 1

The straight wire antenna should be vertical to best receive radio waves from a vertical transmitter antenna, while the loop antenna should be aligned perpendicular to the ground for optimal reception.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine whether the straight wire antenna of a radio should be vertical or horizontal to best receive radio waves broadcast by a vertical transmitter antenna, we need to consider the orientation of the electric field within the waves. A typical antenna has a stronger response when the wires forming it are oriented parallel to the electric field of the radio wave. Therefore, to achieve optimal reception from a vertical transmitter antenna, which emits radio waves with its electric field vertical, the receiving straight wire antenna should also be vertical. This would be option (c): The straight wire antenna should be vertical, and the loop antenna should be aligned perpendicular to the ground.

The loop antenna should be aligned in such a way that its plane is perpendicular to the direction of the incoming radio waves for the best reception. This means that if the radio waves are coming from a vertical transmitter antenna, the loop antenna should be placed perpendicular to the ground, to be parallel to the electric field of the waves, which allows for maximum induction of current in the loop. This orientation not only provides the best signal reception but can also be used to determine the direction of the signal's source, which is helpful in applications such as tracking tagged animals in nature studies.