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radio wave
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radio waves
How does a radio convert waves into sound?
Figure 1: The electromagnetic spectrum. Schematic diagram showing the propagation of high-frequency (shortwave) radio waves by reflection off the ionosphereSpecific ionization conditions vary greatly between day (left) and night (right), causing radio waves to reflect off different layers of the ionosphere or transmit through them, depending upon their frequency and their angle of transmission. Under certain conditions of location, ionization, frequency, and angle, multiple “skips,” or reflections between ionosphere and Earth, are possible. At night, with no intervening layers of the ionosphere present, reflection off the F layer can yield extremely long transmission ranges. ionospheric reflection Electromagnetic radiation
Learn how a radar works
Understand how the electromagnetic spectrum helps study the celestial bodies
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radio wave: Facts & Related Content

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Did You Know?

  • The Very Large Array (VLA) is a radio telescope in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and is comprised of 27 antennas arranged in a Y-shape stretching approximately 22.4 mi (36 km) wide, 1.5 times the width of Washington, D.C., United States.
  • A radio works by converting a specific wavelength (which can be adjusted by the user by changing the station) into vibrations, generating sound from the speakers.
  • If an object is not a receiver for radio waves, any approaching wave will simply bounce off that object and travel away.
  • Radio waves have the longest wavelengths out of all known waves in the electromagnetic spectrum, and can range from the length of a football to more than the diameter of Earth.

Photos and Videos

radio waves
Figure 1: The electromagnetic spectrum.
Schematic diagram showing the propagation of high-frequency (shortwave) radio waves by reflection off the ionosphereSpecific ionization conditions vary greatly between day (left) and night (right), causing radio waves to reflect off different layers of the ionosphere or transmit through them, depending upon their frequency and their angle of transmission. Under certain conditions of location, ionization, frequency, and angle, multiple “skips,” or reflections between ionosphere and Earth, are possible. At night, with no intervening layers of the ionosphere present, reflection off the F layer can yield extremely long transmission ranges.
ionospheric reflection
Electromagnetic radiation
How does a radio convert waves into sound?
Learn how a radar works
Understand how the electromagnetic spectrum helps study the celestial bodies
See All Videos and Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics
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Key People

Vitaly Ginzburg
Russian physicist
Sir Oliver Joseph Lodge.
Sir Oliver Joseph Lodge
British physicist
Heinrich Hertz
Heinrich Hertz
German physicist
George Francis FitzGerald
Irish physicist

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