Please explain how this occurs.
—Name withheld
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Technically speaking, it doesn't. Radio waves don't travel from one radio to another—they travel from a transmitter to a receiver. Devices that both transmit and receive are called transceivers.
Radio waves are part of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. They have wavelengths longer than those of infrared, visible and ultraviolet light, as well as x-rays and gamma rays. The frequency of radio waves ranges from 3 kHz to 300 GHz. Their wavelengths, as measured from the peak of one wave to the peak of the next, range from 1 millimeter (0.4 inch) to 100 kilometers (62 miles). These waves travel at the speed of light.
There are naturally occurring radio waves within nature, but we can create artificial radio waves with a transmitter, such as an AM or FM radio or an RFID reader. The transmitter emits waves at a particular frequency, such as 13.56 MHz. An antenna is required to pick up the signal. Since all waves within the spectrum are hitting the antenna, the antenna needs to be tuned to this particular frequency. Once the antenna has been tuned, the waves reaching the antenna can then be translated into information.
In the case of radio frequency identification, the communication between the transmitter and the RFID tag is governed by the air-interface protocol. The protocol might employ frequency shift-keying or amplitude shift-keying to indicate binary data (the ones and zeros that computers understand). Increasing a wave's amplitude, for instance, could indicate a one, while keeping the amplitude the same could denote a zero. That series of ones and zeros is then transformed into a serial number or other information that a computer can discern.
—Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal
FAQs
Radio waves don't travel from one radio to another—they travel from a transmitter to a receiver. Devices that both transmit and receive are called transceivers. Radio waves are part of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum.
How do radio waves travel to the radio? ›
Radio waves are generated artificially by an electronic device called a transmitter, which is connected to an antenna which radiates the waves. They are received by another antenna connected to a radio receiver, which processes the received signal.
How does data travel in radio waves? ›
The basic principle is simple. At one end, a transmitter “encodes” or modulates messages by varying the amplitude or frequency of the wave – a bit like Morse code. At the other, a receiver tuned to the same wavelength picks up the signal and 'decodes' it back to the desired form: sounds, images, data, etc.
How do radios pick up radio waves? ›
Radio works by transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves. The radio signal is an electronic current moving back and forth very quickly. A transmitter radiates this field outward via an antenna; a receiver then picks up the field and translates it to the sounds heard through the radio.
How does the transmission of radio waves can be used to transfer information? ›
Radio waves are used for wireless transmission of sound messages, or information, for communication, as well as for maritime and aircraft navigation. The information is imposed on the electromagnetic carrier wave as amplitude modulation (AM) or as frequency modulation (FM) or in digital form (pulse modulation).
How are radio waves sent from one place to another? ›
Radio waves can be sent from one place to another via space wave propagation, sky wave propagation as well as ground wave propagation.
How do radio waves travel locally? ›
The most common way for radio waves to travel is in a straight line of sight from one antenna to another. This is most common for radio waves using frequencies of 30 MegaHertz (30 MHz or 30 million changes of direction per second) or higher.
How are radio frequencies transmitted? ›
In radio transmission, electromagnetic power from a radio transmitter is coupled by the transmitter antenna into air or free space. In radio reception, electromagnetic radio waves are intercepted by a receiving antenna and coupled into a receiver for detection.
How does WIFI send radio waves? ›
Wi-Fi uses radio waves to transmit information between your device and a router via frequencies. Two radio-wave frequencies can be used, depending on the amount of data being sent: 2.4 gigahertz and 5 gigahertz. What does that mean, though? Well, a hertz is just a measurement of frequency.
How long has radio existed? ›
The first practical radio communications systems, developed by Marconi in 1894–1895, transmitted telegraph signals by radio waves, so radio communication was first called wireless telegraphy.
Radio telescopes have to be much larger than optical telescopes because the wavelengths of radio waves are so much larger than the wavelengths of visible light. Radio wavelengths are between λ ≈ 3 km to λ ≈ 1 cm, while visible light wavelengths are between λ ≈ 4 x 10-7m (violet) and λ ≈ 7 x 10-7m (red).
How did the radio make life easier? ›
Radio quickly became a way for American families to stay connected and receive news. This was particularly useful for Americans living in rural areas, which, during the radio's Golden Age, was about half of the country's population.
How do radio waves travel? ›
Radio-wave communications signals travel through the air in a straight line, reflect off of clouds or layers of the ionosphere, or are relayed by satellites in space.
Do radio waves carry sound? ›
You can tune a radio to a specific wavelength—or frequency—and listen to your favorite music. The radio "receives" these electromagnetic radio waves and converts them to mechanical vibrations in the speaker to create the sound waves you can hear.
How does radio station transmit radio waves? ›
In radio transmission, electromagnetic power from a radio transmitter is coupled by the transmitter antenna into air or free space. In radio reception, electromagnetic radio waves are intercepted by a receiving antenna and coupled into a receiver for detection.
How do radio waves transfer energy? ›
How do waves transfer energy? Waves transfer energy through the vibrations of particles. These waves are known as mechanical waves. Electromagnetic waves transfer energy through the vibrations of electrical and magnetic fields.
How do radio towers emit radio waves? ›
The RF waves emanating from an antenna are generated by the movement of electrical charges in the antenna. Electromagnetic waves can be characterized by a wavelength and a frequency.
