Classroom Questions

Questions for “New device gets power from 5G signals grabbed from the air”

a photo of the new device that can harvest power from 5G signals

This may look like spidery art on a playing card, but it’s actually a tiny array of antennas and a lens. The device can grab waves of 5G energy from the air, focus them, and then turn those waves into electricity.

Christopher Moore/ Georgia Tech

By Science News Explores

To accompany “New device gets power from 5G signals grabbed from the air”

SCIENCE

Before Reading:

1.  What devices in and around you rely on wireless technology?

2.  How many of the devices or products in your home use batteries? How long do those batteries tend to last?

During Reading:

1.  According to the story, what problem were Aline Eid and Jimmy Hester mulling over while eating popcorn?

2.  What device is now the heart of their new system? What does that device do?

3.  Engineers use both radio waves and microwaves to carry data. What are the relative advantages of each? What are their disadvantages?

4.  What problem involving “direction” would the new Georgia Tech device solve in terms of using 5G signals?

5.  What spidery traits does the new Georgia Tech device possess?

6.  How much power can the new device theoretically harvest? With that much energy, what types of devices could it run?

After Reading:

1.  After watching the YouTube video about the new Georgia Tech innovation, what do you see as its greatest advantage? In what way might it be good for the environment?

2.  Every new device has both advantages and disadvantages. Make a list of both for this device. Which do you think wins out? Explain your reasoning.