When people talk about metal detectors, the common image that comes to mind today is the huge rectangular doorways which security personnel place in areas such as airports and malls. Of course, these metal detectors are actually used to find out if people passing through them have guns which are, as you may know, composed of metal. However, you should know that metal detectors have a lot more use than just keeping public locations safe.
The metal detector was actually first developed in order to pinpoint any ore-bearing rocks. This means that the metal detector was first used to help miners strike it rich. The metal detector was supposed to make it easier for miners to find out which rocks will actually yield precious metals when they are processed. This means that work efficiency increases and so does production. However, the metal detector of today has surpassed this purpose. But before we discuss further developments in the technology of the metal detector, let us first examine just what makes it work. Well, metal detectors work to find metal through a process called electromagnetic induction. Put simply, the metal detector is able to find metal because the metal, which is a conductor, produces a current when put near the metal detector.
The metal detectors of the past were rather crude and needed a lot of power in order to function. The first truly portable radio detectors were actually attached to backpacks which served as power sources. These metal detectors first saw action during the Second World War when they were used to find mines. Because so many of these metal detectors were manufactured during the War, a market for the surplus was created. This market gave birth to metal detection as a hobby.
A lot of people today buy cheap and easy to assemble metal detectors for various purposes. Some use them to find rare coins and other memorabilia in sites where historically significant events occurred. People often research extensively on different places where huge gatherings happened in the past and where people might have dropped a few coins. These coins could prove to be very valuable depending on the age. There are also people who just make use of metal detectors to find coins dropped in concert areas. These people often do this for profit and for the excitement of the hunt rather than for the significance of the coins. A variety of this is using a metal detector to comb beaches in search of dropped coins and jewelry. We all know how easy it is to lose a ring or even a necklace in a sandy beach, right?
Of course, there are also those who make use of metal detectors to look for stuff that are more valuable than coins. Metal detectors are actually used by some people in the field of archaeology. A properly used metal detector may be able to yield a lot of clues regarding our past simply by showing us the different items that come from the great trove of history. By making use of metal detectors, people will be able to find items which explain the connection of the way we lead our lives today to the way we lived yesterday.
Metal detectors are not just about finding objects, these tools help us know who we are.
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