Book 3, Question 92
Why Did Morse Code Use Dots and Dashes?
Morse code used dots and dashes because electric signals on a wire can only be short or long, on or off.
Morse code turns letters into short beeps, called dots, and long beeps, called dashes, so messages can travel over a wire or in flashes of light. Electricity on a wire is either on or off. A short on is a dot, and a longer on is a dash.
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Quick answers
How long is a dash?
A dash usually lasts three times as long as a dot.
Sources: BBC, Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 3
More fun facts
- Morse code was invented in the 1800s to send messages over long distances.
- Each letter is a pattern of short dots and longer dashes, sometimes called dits and dahs.
- A dash usually lasts three times as long as a dot.
- The first long-distance Morse code message traveled from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore on May 24, 1844.
- Because its signals are simply on or off, long or short, Morse code can also be sent with flashing lights.
- Samuel Morse started out as a painter before working on the telegraph.
- By 1900, one telegraph company ran more than 100,000 miles of cables under the sea.
Sources: BBC, Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine
Questions kids ask
Can Morse code be sent with a flashlight?
Yes. Because it is just short and long signals, you can send Morse code with flashes of light.