• Question: when you press the off button on your tv what signals it to go off

    Asked by 466kvna44 to Caoimhe, Colin, David, Katie, Lisa on 12 Nov 2014. This question was also asked by Cian ó maonaigh.
    • Photo: David Taylor

      David Taylor answered on 12 Nov 2014:

      I guess you are asking about the remote. When you press the button on the remote it sends a signal to the TV. I’m not sure what that is but it must be some kind of eletromagnetic radiation…because if you put your hand or something in the way it doesn’t work – it needs a “line of sight” to the TV. Now there are different kinds of electromagnetic radiation: obviously it’s not light or else you would see it. Maybe radio waves, or microwaves??

    • Photo: Colin Keogh

      Colin Keogh answered on 13 Nov 2014:

      The off function, either from the button on the front or the remote, just sends a signal to open or close a gate that controls the flow of electricity to the tv. Opening this gate (cutting the supply of electricity off) turns off the TV, closing it (allowing the electricity to flow) turns it back on.

    • Photo: Katie Mahon

      Katie Mahon answered on 15 Nov 2014:

      I’m not so sure…. my brain works better with mechanics of things – stuff that I can see working. I’m not as good with electrical or digital explanations! I guess the remote is working like any on-off switch, the only difference is that the on-off instructions are sent through a beam of infrared light – which is invisible to the human eye. This is why you need to point it at the TV

    • Photo: Caoimhe O'Neill

      Caoimhe O'Neill answered on 21 Nov 2014:

      Hmm…my guess would be that it breaks a circuit that is needs to be connected to make the tv work

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