Radio wave

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the radiation. For the generic oscillation, see Radio frequency. For the
electronics, see Radio frequency engineering.
For other uses, see Radio Wave (disambiguation).

Animation of a half-wave dipole antenna radiatingradio waves, showing the electric field lines. The
antenna in the center is two vertical metal rods, with analternating current applied at its center from
a radio transmitter (not shown). The voltage charges the two sides of the antenna alternately
positive (+) and negative (). Loops of electric field (black lines) leave the antenna and travel away at
the speed of light; these are the radio waves. The action is drastically slowed down in this animation.

Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths in the electromagnetic
spectrum longer than infrared light. Radio waves have frequencies from 300 GHz to as low as
3 kHz, and corresponding wavelengths ranging from 1 millimeter (0.039 in) to 100 kilometers
(62 mi). Like all other electromagnetic waves, they travel at the speed of light. Naturally
occurring radio waves are made by lightning, or byastronomical objects. Artificially generated
radio waves are used for fixed and mobile radio communication,broadcasting, radar and other
navigation systems, communications satellites, computer networks and innumerable other
applications. Radio waves are generated by radio transmitters and received by radio receivers.
Different frequencies of radio waves have different propagation characteristics in the Earth's
atmosphere; long waves can diffract around obstacles like mountains and follow the contour of
the earth (ground waves), shorter waves can reflect off the ionosphere and return to earth
beyond the horizon (skywaves), while much shorter wavelengths bend or diffract very little and
travel on a line of sight, so their propagation distances are limited to the visual horizon.
To prevent interference between different users, the artificial generation and use of radio waves
is strictly regulated by law, coordinated by an international body called the International
Telecommunications Union(ITU). The radio spectrum is divided into a number of radio bands on
the basis of frequency, allocated to different uses.

Diagram of the electric fields (E) and magnetic fields (H) of radio waves emitted by a monopole radio
transmitting antenna (small dark vertical line in the center). The E and H fields are perpendicular as
implied by the phase diagram in the lower right.

Contents

1 Discovery and utilization

2 Propagation

3 Speed, wavelength and frequency

4 Radio communication

5 See also

6 Notes

7 References

Discovery and utilization[edit]

Main article: History of radio

Rough plot of Earth's atmospheric transmittance (or opacity) to various wavelengths of electromagnetic
radiation, including radio waves.

Radio waves were first predicted by mathematical work done in 1867 by Scottish mathematical
physicist James Clerk Maxwell.[1] Maxwell noticed wavelike properties of light and similarities in

electrical and magnetic observations. His mathematical theory, now called Maxwell's equations,
described light waves and radio waves as waves of electromagnetism that travel in space,
radiated by a charged particle as it undergoes acceleration. In 1887, Heinrich
Hertz demonstrated the reality of Maxwell's electromagnetic waves by experimentally
generating radio waves in his laboratory,[2] showing that they exhibited the same wave properties
as light:standing waves, refraction, diffraction, and polarization. Radio waves were first used for
communication in the mid 1890s by Guglielmo Marconi, who developed the first practical
radio transmitters and receivers.

Propagation[edit]
Main article: Radio propagation
The study of electromagnetic phenomena such as reflection, refraction, polarization, diffraction,
and absorptionis of critical importance in the study of how radio waves move in free space and
over the surface of the Earth. Different frequencies experience different combinations of these
phenomena in the Earth's atmosphere, making certain radio bands more useful for specific
purposes than others.

Speed, wavelength and frequency[edit]

Radio waves travel at the speed of light.[3][4] When passing through an object, they are slowed
according to that object's permeability and permittivity.
The wavelength is the distance from one peak of the wave's electric field to the next, and is
inversely proportional to the frequency of the wave. The distance a radio wave travels in one
second, in a vacuum, is 299,792,458 meters (983,571,056 ft) which is the wavelength of a 1
hertz radio signal. A 1 megahertz radio signal has a wavelength of 299.8 meters (984 ft).

Radio communication[edit]
Main article: Radio communication
In order to receive radio signals, for instance from AM/FM radio stations, a radio antenna must
be used. However, since the antenna will pick up thousands of radio signals at a time, a radio
tuner is necessary to tune in a particular signal.[5] This is typically done via a resonator (in its
simplest form, a circuit with a capacitor,inductor, or crystal oscillator, but many modern radios
use Phase Locked Loop systems). The resonator is configured to resonate at a particular
frequency, allowing the tuner to amplify sine waves at that radio frequency and ignore other sine
waves. Usually, either the inductor or the capacitor of the resonator is adjustable, allowing the
user to change the frequency at which it resonates.[6]

See also[edit]
Look up radio
wave in Wiktionary,
the free dictionary.
Radio portal
Telecommunication portal

Radio astronomy

Notes[edit]
1. ^ Harman, Peter Michael (1998). The natural philosophy of James
Clerk Maxwell. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
p. 6. ISBN 0-521-00585-X.
2. ^ "Heinrich Hertz: The Discovery of Radio Waves".
Juliantrubin.com. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
3. ^ http://www.1728.org/freqwave.htm
4. ^ http://www.nrao.edu/index.php/learn/radioastronomy/radiowaves
5. ^ Brain, Marshall (2000-12-07). "How Radio Works".
HowStuffWorks.com. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
6. ^ Brain, Marshall (2000-12-08). "How Oscillators Work".
HowStuffWorks.com. Retrieved 2009-09-11.

References[edit]

James Clerk Maxwell, "A Dynamical Theory of the

Electromagnetic Field", Philosophical Transactions of the Royal
Society of London 155, 459-512 (1865).

Heinrich Hertz: "Electric waves; being researches on the

propagation of electric action with finite velocity through
space" (1893). Cornell University Library Historical Monographs
Collection. Reprinted by Cornell University Library Digital
Collections.

Karl Rawer: "Wave Propagation in the Ionosphere". Kluwer,

Dordrecht 1993. ISBN 0-7923-0775-5

Radio spectrum (ITU)

ELF
3 Hz/100 Mm
30 Hz/10 Mm

SLF
30 Hz/10 Mm
300 Hz/1 Mm

Electromagnetic spectrum

higher frequencies

Violet
Blue
Visible (optical)

Green
Yellow
Orange
Red
W band
V band
Q band
Ka band

Microwaves

K band
Ku band
X band
S band
C band
L band

Radio

EHF
SHF
UHF
VHF
HF
MF
LF

longer wavelengths
Gamma rays
X-rays
Ultraviolet
Visible
Infrared
Terahertz radiation
Microwave
Radio

VLF
ULF
SLF
ELF
Microwave
Wavelength types

Shortwave
Medium wave
Longwave

Radiation (physics and health)

Main articles

Acoustic radiation force

Infrared
Non-ionizing radiation

Light
Microwave
Radio waves
Ultraviolet
Alpha particle
Background radiation
Beta particle
Cosmic ray
Gamma ray
Nuclear fission

Ionizing radiation

Nuclear fusion
Radioactive decay
Nuclear reactors
Nuclear weapons
Particle accelerators
Radioactive materials
X-ray

Earth's radiation balance

Electromagnetic radiation
Thermal radiation
Health physics
Dosimetry
Electromagnetic radiation and health
Laser safety
Lasers and aviation safety
Medical radiography
Mobile phone radiation and health

Radiation and

Radiation poisoning

health

Radiation therapy
Radioactivity in the life sciences
radioactive contamination
Radiobiology
Biological dose units and quantities
Wireless electronic devices and health
Half-life
Nuclear physics
Radiation hardening
List of civilian radiation accidents

Related articles

1996 Costa Rica accident

1987 Goinia accident
1984 Moroccan accident
1990 Zaragoza accident

See also: the categories Radiation effects, Radioactivity, and Radiobiolog

GND: 4176841-3

Authority control

NDL: 00561394

Categories:

Radio technology
Waves
Electromagnetic spectrum

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