Morse Code

Morse Code is an alpha-numeric form of communication based on a series of dots and dashes that can be expressed as sounds, light, or taps. Letters and numbers each have a different series of dots and dashes. International Morse Code is based on the basic Latin alphabet and Arabic numerals; languages that have more or different letters than the Latin alphabet simply add those characters. The basic measure of time in Morse Code is the dot—each dash is equal to three dots, each character is separated by the silent length of three dots (a dash), and words are separated by the silent length of seven dots. In 1836 Samuel F. B. Morse, Joseph Henry, and Alfred Vail developed the electrical telegraph, which sent electrical pulses along wires that controlled an electromagnet at the destination. The code they first used then is vastly different from the International Morse Code used today. To learn Morse Code, go here.