• Question: How does Bluetooth work? What does a bluetooth device create around itself?

    Asked by sanban to Chris, Dave, David, Fiona, Jack on 24 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Jack Miller

      Jack Miller answered on 24 Jun 2013:


      Hi Sanban,

      Bluetooth devices use radio to communicate with eachother. They therefore emit light in the radio part of the spectrum — so they create electric and magnetic fields around themselves. They do this with a small antenna, often called a patch antenna, through which an oscillating electric signal is played. Depending on the geometry of the antenna and the properties of the signal applied, you get light at different frequencies emitted. Actually designing these things is hard — you have to solve a complicated set of equations that describe the electromagnetic fields (Maxwell’s equations) in odd geometries (i.e. your mobile phone).

      How information is actually transmitted over this radio link is itself another interesting question!

      Hope this helps,

      — Jack

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