ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Communication with submarines

Imagine you are playing hide-and-seek with your friend outside in the park. You are the seeker and your friend is hiding somewhere. You try to find your friend by calling out their name, but they cannot hear you because they are hiding underwater in a swimming pool. The water blocks the sound of your voice.

Submarines are like your friend hiding underwater. When they submerge underwater, they cannot hear or send messages using regular radio or phone signals because the water blocks the signals. This is why submarines use special equipment to communicate with the outside world when they are underwater.

One of the ways they communicate is by using a system called a sonar. A sonar works like a big ear that listens for sound waves in the water. The submarine sends a sound wave, which travels through the water and bounces off an object, like a ship or another submarine. When the sound wave echoes back to the submarine, the sonar picks it up and translates it into a picture of the object, so the crew knows where the object is and what it looks like.

Another way submarines communicate is by using a special type of radio signal that can travel through water, called a Very Low Frequency (VLF) signal. VLF signals are special because they have a very long wavelength, which means they can travel long distances underwater without being blocked by the water. The submarine sends a message using the VLF signal, which travels through the water and is picked up by a special receiver on the surface of the ocean. The receiver then sends the message to the crew on land.

Submarines can also use a special type of buoy to send and receive messages while they are underwater. The buoy is dropped into the water and floats to the surface. It has a radio antenna that can communicate with other ships or planes in the area. The submarine can send a message to the buoy using a special radio signal, which then relays the message to the surface.

In summary, submarines use special equipment like sonars, VLF signals, and buoys to communicate when they are underwater because regular radio or phone signals cannot travel through water. These communication methods allow the submarine crew to stay in touch with other ships and people on land, even when they are deep underwater.
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