How do phones work?

Question

How do both the land lines and the cell phones work?? I mean, I heard there was something about glass and light in the wire, carrying the sound or something like that but how exactly are we able to pick up a phone and call a person across the world? I haven't even started on the cell phone yet, but could someone please tell me??

Answer 1

This is your lucky day. I live in the town where phones were invented. Phones work on the basis of electrical tones. every number on a phone produces and different pitch tone. That will travel trough the wires until it reaches the combination of the person your are trying to receive.

Answer 2

See these sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone
http://communication.howstuffworks.com/telephone.htm
http://www.bauer.uh.edu/jaana/class/class5/tsld001.htm