How are Radio Waves used in Physics?

Today we are going to discuss the uses of radio waves. To understand the usages of radio waves, we should understand what radio waves are. Radio waves lie in one of the seven regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Moreover, radio waves have the longest wavelength among the other electromagnetic waves. The wavelength of radio waves varies from 0.04 inches to 100 km. This answers your question about what radio waves are.

Furthermore, the radio waves also have the lowest frequency, from 3 kilohertz to 300 gigahertz or 300 billion hertz. Generation of radio waves occurs from the accelerating charged particles. Naturally, radio waves are emitted from space objects and lightning. However, these waves can also be generated artificially through transmitters and received through radio receivers. Moreover, most commonly, the radio waves are used in communication, broadcasting, wireless networking, radar, navigation, etc. Different uses of radio waves are achieved through the different frequencies of these waves. 

How are radio waves used in physics?

There are a lot of uses of radio waves in the present time. Some examples of radio waves are – cellular networks, wireless networks, and many others. The working of these are based on the transmission and receiving concept. Let’s discuss the details of how radio waves are used in physics.

1.Broadcasting

Radio broadcasting is one of the most common examples of radio waves. Televisions and radios are based on radio broadcasting. In radio broadcasting, a transmitter transmits a radio wave carrying the information like audio or music through the back and forth movement of the current. This signal is launched towards the other end of the antenna, called the receiving antenna. 

After the receiving antenna receives the signal, it oscillates the current with the same frequency. This results in the transmission of the data sent by the transmitter. Moreover, there are two techniques of radio broadcasting, namely, Frequency Modulation (FM) and Amplitude Modulation (AM). However, the frequency used in FM Radios varies between 87.5 to 108 Megahertz

2.Cellular Networks

Apart from the fact that radio waves can travel huge distances while carrying information, there is another useful property of radio waves used in telecommunication. The Radio Waves can propagate through hard and rigid objects like buildings, trees etc. This is why radio waves are used in telecommunication. 

The working of radio waves in telecommunication is quite similar to radio broadcasting. First, the transmitter transmits the waves carrying the information, reaching the nearest relay node fixed on a networking tower. After that, the relay node sends the signal to the base station or the tower, further sending the signal to the receiver’s end. However, unlike radio, these waves are sent to a specific receiver identified by the sim card number provided by cellular network companies. 

3.RADAR

The working of a RADAR is very simple. RADAR, or Radio Detection and Ranging, send radio waves into the atmosphere. After that, when the waves get in touch with an obstacle, they bounce back toward the RADAR’s transmitter. Now, by calculating the time of transmission and receiving, RADAR identifies the distance of the obstacle. Moreover, RADAR can also identify the shape of the obstacle. RADARs are usually used by the military and Aviation departments to locate unwanted obstacles or moving objects like missiles and aeroplanes. 

A RADAR can also identify the speed of a moving object by continuous transmission and receiving of radio waves. Air Traffic Control or ATCs use two types of Aeroplanes; RADAR is also used in Submarines, ships etc.

4.Satellite Communication

Satellite communication is one of the most common uses of radio waves. In satellite communication, the waves travel to larger distances like from earth to space and back to earth. Moreover, the system’s working is very similar to radio broadcasting or telecommunication, but as the name suggests, satellite communication includes a satellite in the whole procedure. 

Satellite communication is commonly used in the military to operate satellite phones. But the more common use of satellite communication is television broadcasting. TV channels use satellite communication to broadcast TV shows around the world. Moreover, the information is sent to the satellite via a transmitter, and on the other end, the receiver or set top box receives and extracts the information from the signal. 

4.Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Radio waves are used in MRIs to create a 3 -D view of organs inside the body. The MRI sends Radio waves to the human body from all directions. After that, the receivers collect the signals and send back a 3-D view of the organs.

Conclusion

The answer to what are radio waves is that they are electromagnetic radiations with the longest wavelength. This article further explains how radio waves are used in physics. Different uses of radio waves need the waves to be propagated on different frequencies. Radio waves made our lives a lot easier by making communication, broadcasting, and navigation easier and cheaper. However, there are many more uses of Radio waves that are different from these common uses.