It was one of those moments when the course of history was irrevocably altered. On March 10, 1876, Thomas Watson was examining an unusual electrical device when he heard it utter the words that would change the course of history: “Watson, Mr. Come on in! Please come see me.”
The invention of the telephone as we know it began with those three brief exclamations, courtesy of Watson’s brilliant colleague Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922). Since then, a little more than a century ago, the telephone has grown in popularity around the globe.
Telephones And Telegraphs
Have you ever tried using two baked bean cans, some twine, and a tin can telephone? It actually works! Additionally, it provides a fascinating insight into how telephones transmit human voices from one location to another.
Normally, sounds transport energy from something that vibrates (such as a drum skin or a guitar string that is moving back and forth) to our eardrums through the air as invisible waves.
Another electrical device called the telegraph was the pinnacle of communication technology in the 19th century, just before the telephone was created. A telegraph was a straightforward electrical circuit running over a railroad line or kilometers between two towns.
A real telephone resembles a hybrid of a telegraph and a phone made from a baked bean can. On a baked-bean can telephone, you talk into the can from one end, which causes the can to vibrate when you “call” a buddy.
The can your buddy is holding then receives the vibrations via the string, causing it to vibrate as well and emit sounds for your friend to hear.
Unlike a baked bean can telephone, you cannot speak through a telegraph. Instead, you flip a switch to send messages as coded electrical pulses.
Working On A Phone
A telephone is more than just the device you have on your desk at home.
The handset at your end, the cable that enters the wall, a vast array of communication equipment (copper cables, fiber-optics, microwave towers, and satellites) that transports telephone signals across the nation, some switching equipment that ensures calls reach the proper location, and a handset at the other end make up the entire system.
Dialing Pulses Are Produced By The Dial Mechanism: This rotates the dial to break the phone and the exchange circuit. Dialing “9” generates nine pulses, dialing “5” generates five pulses, and so on.
Bells: To signal an incoming call, old phones contained real, sparkling metal bells inside them! Electronic buzzers or bleepers on modern phones don’t sound nearly as pleasant.
When The Phone Rings: an electrically controlled magnet rapidly turns on and off, causing a clapper to move in between the front bells and ring. When you remove the lid, it’s fun to see this occur. It feels like the 19th century again!
The Tilting Switch Mechanism Tracks: when the phone is raised or lowered. The connection between the phone and the local exchange is severed if the handset sits on the switch. When you lift the handset, the circuit completes itself, which connects the exchange to the phone.
Circuit Board: This is where all of the tiny wires that manage the dialing, tilt switch, and other functions of the phone come together.
In this article, we have read about how the telephone works. You must visit this website for more innovative yet necessary ideas.
I’m a former teacher (and mother of Two Childs) with a background in child development. Here to help you with play-based learning activities for kids. ( Check my Next startup Cledemy.Com)