Radiowaves - Alpha Vivek Kun Yao

Radio waves have the longest wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum. These waves can be as long as a football field. Instead of only bring music to you radio radio waves have other different uses. They also carry signals for your television and cellular phones.

Radio telescopes ,which emits or detect and reads radio waves, look at planets and comets, giant clouds of gas and dust, and stars and galaxies. By studying the radio waves originating from these sources, astronomers can learn about their composition, structure, and motion.

Radio waves are believed to cause cancer, leukaemia and other disorders.

Radio waves are usually produced by electric current alternating at radio frequency flowing in a special purpose conductor, called an antenna. Antenna dimensions must generally be comparable to wavelength to work efficiently. Very long waves are not practical because of the enormous antennas needed to produce them, although they are sometimes produced by lightning. Radio waves are also produced by cosmic phenomena in deep space. Actually, any kind of reciprocating motion of electric charges or magnets can produce radio waves if it is fast enough. Although very impractical, even a person waving a charged stick very fast can produce faint radio waves.

Radio waves have the longest wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum. These waves can be longer than a football field or as short as a football. Radio waves bring music to your radio and carry signals for your television and cellular phones.

The antennae on your television set receive the signal, in the form of electromagnetic waves, that is broadcasted from the television station. It is displayed on your television screen.

Cable companies have antennae or dishes which receive waves broadcasted from your local TV stations. The signal is then sent through a cable to your house.

How do we "see" using Radio Waves?

Objects in space, such as planets and comets, giant clouds of gas and dust, and stars and galaxies, emit light at many different wavelengths. Some of the light they emit has very large wavelengths - sometimes as long as a mile!. These long waves are in the radio region of the electromagnetic spectrum.