HISTORY of RADIO WAVES

ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
In 1887, Heinrich Hertz
demonstrated the reality of
Maxwell's electromagnetic
waves by experimentally
generating radio waves in his laboratory, showing
that they exhibited the same wave properties as
light: standing waves, refraction, diffraction, and
polarization. Radio waves, originally called
"Hertzian waves", were first used for
communication in the mid 1890s by Guglielmo
Marconi, who developed the first practical radio
RADIO WAVE transmitters and receivers. The modern term "radio
-an electromagnetic wave of a frequency between wave" replaced the original name "Hertzian wave"
about 104 and 1011 or 1012 Hz, as used for long- around 1912.
distance communication. HISTORY of RADIO WAVES
• Have the longest wavelengths in the Guglielmo Marconi was awarded the Nobel Prize
electromagnetic spectrum. in physics in 1909 to
• Have wavelengths that range from less than a commemorate his
centimeter to tens or even hundreds of meters. development of wireless
• Radio waves are used to transmit radio and telegraphy after he was able to
television signals. send a long-wave radio signal
across the Atlantic Ocean.
Band Frequencies Band Frequencies USES of RADIO WAVES
VLF (Very VHF (Very Global Positioning Systems (GPS) measure the time
Low) 10 - 30 kHz High) 30 - 300 MHz it takes a radio wave to travel from several satellites
UHF (Ultra 300 MHz - to the receiver, determining the distance to each
LF (Low) 30 - 300 kHz High) 2.9 GHz satellite.
SHF
MF 300 kHz - 3 (Super 2.9 GHz - 30
(Medium) MHz High) GHz
A radio telescope is a form of
EHF
(Extremely 30 GHz and
radio receiver used in
HF (High) 3 - 30 MHz High) above astronomy. In contrast to an
"ordinary" telescope, which receives
Radio waves are one of many forms of visible light, a radio telescope "sees" radio waves
electromagnetic (EM) radiation, emitted by radio sources, typically by means of a
Radio waves of the standard AM broadcast band large parabolic ("dish") antenna, or arrays of them.
have longer wavelength (ranging from 180-550
meters) compared to the short radio waves for FM A radio picks up radio waves
band (ranging from 2.8-3.4 meters). through an antenna and converts
Radio Frequency (RF) it to sound waves. Each radio
Is a rate of oscillation in the range of about 3kHz station in an area broadcasts at
to 300 GHz, which corresponds to the frequency of a different frequency.
radio waves, and the alternating currents that carry
radio signals. Radio Navigation Systems are the basis for landing
is the frequency range used in radio, extending of the aircraft, regardless of whether are concerned
from around twenty thousand times per second en-route or terminal means.
(20 kHz) to around three hundred billion times per Other USES of RADIO WAVES
second (300 GHz).
HISTORY of RADIO WAVES ➢ Cellular telephones, Wireless
LANs
Radio waves were first ➢ Keyless entry
predicted by mathematical ➢ AM & FM radio
work done in 1867 by Scottish ➢ Garage-door openers
mathematical physicist James ➢ Satellite radio
Clerk Maxwell. Maxwell ➢ Police radar, Radar detectors, Doppler radar
noticed wavelike properties of ➢ Satellite tracking & communications
light and similarities in electrical and magnetic
observations.

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