radio waves
AM/FM transmission medium
Radio waves are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths longer than infrared light, used to transmit information wirelessly across distances.
They carry television and radio broadcasts, cell phone signals, Wi-Fi, and countless other communications through the air and even through space.
Radio waves travel at the speed of light and can bounce off the ionosphere, allowing signals to reach beyond the horizon.
The radio waves from that station reach listeners three states away.
Broadcast signal receiver
- transmitterSignal-emitting device
- stationFixed stopping point
- FMCarrier wave frequency variation
- AMPre-midday designation
tuning · airwaves · receiver · DJ · music · talk show · news · weather report
Wireless network standard
- BluetoothShort-range wireless protocol
- cellularComposed of small units
- cordlessWithout attached wiring
- GPSSatellite-based location technology
satellite · mobile · router · hotspot · NFC · RFID · Zigbee · modem
Sending of information
- modulationVarying signals to transmit
- telecommunicationElectronic distance communication
- signalMessage-conveying cue
- carrierOne that transports
encoding · decoding · telegraphy · Morse code · propagation · transceiver · walkie-talkie · emergency beacon
Involving electric and magnetic fields
- microwaveRadiation-based kitchen heater
- infraredHeat-bearing electromagnetic waves
- visible lightRadiation the eye detects
- ultravioletWavelengths shorter than violet
wavelength · photon · energy · low-frequency · high-frequency · VHF · UHF · absorption
Frequency measurement unit
- kilohertzThousand-cycle frequency unit
- megahertzOne million oscillations per second
- gigahertzFrequency unit, billions
- wavelengthSpatial repetition interval
bandwidth · oscillation · tuning · resonance · interference · harmonics · waveform · amplitude
Act of spreading widely
- reflectionReturned light or thought
- refractionWave bending between media
- diffractionWaves spreading past obstacles
- polarizationSeparation into opposing extremes
interference · absorption · scattering · attenuation · Doppler effect · standing wave · line-of-sight · inverse square law
antenna
Broadcast signal receiver
- transmitterSignal-emitting device
- stationFixed stopping point
- FMCarrier wave frequency variation
AM · tuning · airwaves · receiver · DJ · music · talk show · news · weather report · emergency alert
Wi-Fi
Wireless network standard
- BluetoothShort-range wireless protocol
- cellularComposed of small units
- cordlessWithout attached wiring
GPS · satellite · mobile · router · hotspot · NFC · RFID · Zigbee · modem · network
transmission
Sending of information
- modulationVarying signals to transmit
- telecommunicationElectronic distance communication
- signalMessage-conveying cue
carrier · encoding · decoding · telegraphy · Morse code · propagation · transceiver · walkie-talkie · emergency beacon · dispatch
electromagnetic
Involving electric and magnetic fields
- microwaveRadiation-based kitchen heater
- infraredHeat-bearing electromagnetic waves
- visible lightRadiation the eye detects
ultraviolet · wavelength · photon · energy · low-frequency · high-frequency · VHF · UHF · absorption · emission
hertz
Frequency measurement unit
- kilohertzThousand-cycle frequency unit
- megahertzOne million oscillations per second
- gigahertzFrequency unit, billions
wavelength · bandwidth · oscillation · tuning · resonance · interference · harmonics · waveform · amplitude · modulation
propagation
Act of spreading widely
- reflectionReturned light or thought
- refractionWave bending between media
- diffractionWaves spreading past obstacles
polarization · interference · absorption · scattering · attenuation · Doppler effect · standing wave · line-of-sight · inverse square law · waveguide
- Electromagnetic Wavesvisible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, gamma rays, X-rays
- radiocrystal set, AM, FM, news broadcast, AM/FM
- Global Communicationsatellite, telegraph, telephone, internet, email
- wirelessWi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, cordless, signal boost
- Wireless signalsWiFi, Bluetooth, cellular, 5G, 4G
- Electricity HistoryMichael Faraday, Faraday, Benjamin Franklin, Franklin, Thomas Edison
radio wavesgamma rays
Highest-frequency electromagnetic radiation
X-rays · gamma radiation · ionizing radiation · cosmic rays · ultraviolet light
radio wavesvisible light
Radiation the eye detects
light · sunlight · visible spectrum · colors · luminescence