Radar uses radio waves to detect objects by transmitting pulses that bounce off objects and return to a receiving dish. The time it takes and the strength of the returned signal can reveal an object's distance, direction, speed and other characteristics. Radar was developed secretly before and during WWII and is used for applications like air traffic control, weather monitoring, military defense systems and more. It works on the same echo and Doppler shift principles as sound but uses radio waves which travel far and are easy to detect.