Lesson 1: Automotive Sensors

When you are in a car, you might not realise that you are surrounded by sensors – in the seat belts, the car doors and the rear view mirror to name a few. Sensors respond to physical or chemical triggers, such as pressure, temperature or distance, and convert them into an electrical signal.

In this lesson you will explore different types of sensors and learn about four areas that use sensor technology, including parking distance control, digital compasses, night vision and car temperature regulation.

At the end of this lesson you should be able to:

• Describe the operation of a Hall sensor
• Describe the operation of an inductive sensor
• Describe the operation of an ultrasonic transducer
• Test ultrasonic transducers for correct operation
• Explain the operation of the digital compass
• Explain the operation of the night vision system
• Describe and test coolant temperature sensors

Click on 'Play lesson' to begin (make sure you have a copy of the workbook from your teacher or you have downloaded and printed your own copy before you start).