What is Radio: Definition and 691 Discussions

Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connected to an antenna which radiates the waves, and received by another antenna connected to a radio receiver. Radio is very widely used in modern technology, in radio communication, radar, radio navigation, remote control, remote sensing and other applications.
In radio communication, used in radio and television broadcasting, cell phones, two-way radios, wireless networking and satellite communication among numerous other uses, radio waves are used to carry information across space from a transmitter to a receiver, by modulating the radio signal (impressing an information signal on the radio wave by varying some aspect of the wave) in the transmitter. In radar, used to locate and track objects like aircraft, ships, spacecraft and missiles, a beam of radio waves emitted by a radar transmitter reflects off the target object, and the reflected waves reveal the object's location. In radio navigation systems such as GPS and VOR, a mobile receiver accepts radio signals from navigational radio beacons whose position is known, and by precisely measuring the arrival time of the radio waves the receiver can calculate its position on Earth. In wireless radio remote control devices like drones, garage door openers, and keyless entry systems, radio signals transmitted from a controller device control the actions of a remote device.
Applications of radio waves which do not involve transmitting the waves significant distances, such as RF heating used in industrial processes and microwave ovens, and medical uses such as diathermy and MRI machines, are not usually called radio. The noun radio is also used to mean a broadcast radio receiver.
Radio waves were first identified and studied by German physicist Heinrich Hertz in 1886. The first practical radio transmitters and receivers were developed around 1895–1896 by Italian Guglielmo Marconi, and radio began to be used commercially around 1900. To prevent interference between users, the emission of radio waves is regulated by law, coordinated by an international body called the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which allocates frequency bands in the radio spectrum for different uses.

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  1. turbo

    True Oldies radio - new to central Maine

    There is a radio station (93.5) that has been flipping around like a fish on a deck for the last couple of years, trying to come up with a winning format. Today I checked it and found it had become a True Oldies affiliate. No local talent, etc - just a remotely-programmed channel like so many...
  2. F

    What Determines the Physical Size of a Radio Wave's Amplitude?

    hey do you know how to calculate what is the physical size of the amplitude of a radio wave? like I know how to calculate the wavelength but to draw a scale physical representation of that wave in space, how do I use amplitude to calculate the (y axis) height of the peak periods?
  3. P

    Artificial and Natural Radio wave interference

    Hi everyone, I'm a beginer in communication science. I have very fundamental question. We know that natural radio waves are emmited from sun to Earth (as a part of their electromagnetic spectrum); what will happpen if our communication devices uses radio waves of same frequency and wavelength...
  4. L

    Half life of a radio active element

    Homework Statement The half life period of N-13 is 10.1 minute. Its life time is ------- The answer has been given as infinity. Could someone help the formula to arrive at this answer 2. The time taken by the radio active element to reduce 1/e times is ----- The answer has been given as...
  5. H

    Radio Frequency and electrical signals

    "Radio frequency (RF) is a rate of oscillation in the range of about 30 kHz to 300 GHz, which corresponds to the frequency of electrical signals normally used to produce and detect radio waves." - Quoted from Wikipedia. How can electrical signals be used to produce and detect radio waves...
  6. L

    Why don't we emit radio waves

    If our temperature is already above the necessary temperature to emit radio waves? At our temperature we emit mainly infrared right?
  7. J

    Is There a Service Like Pandora Radio That Can Recommend Similar Songs?

    Pandora Radio is an automated music recommendation service and custodian of the Music Genome Project. Users enter a song or artist that they enjoy, and the service responds by playing selections that are musically similar. Pandora service is not available outside USA. I didn't know that any...
  8. L

    Can We Physically Detect Radio Waves?

    Because they don't have enough energy to be noticed? If I understand right, they are not energized enough to ecxite electrons?
  9. Seanskahn

    Radio communicattion in lower wavelength

    Hi community. Once again, a stupid question: if radio waves are electromagneetic waves, generating an electric field in the antenna, then why can't one just shine visual light (also electrromagnetic waves) on same antenna and use that for communication? thanks s
  10. P

    Can a Radio Wave Camera Be Used to Track Wildlife in the Field?

    I work in wildlife science. I track radio tagged animals, and am wondering if it's possible to make a radio wave camera, that can detect and visualize radio waves on a screen. I could use this camera to see the source of a radio signal (i.e. which bush or tree an animal is hiding in). This...
  11. nukeman

    Question about monitoring radio waves/frequencies in space.

    Ok this does come from the movie "Contact" with jodie foster. Where she mintors space for aliens transmitting radio signals. I am sure lots of you have seen it :) Now my question is, can you buy a certain type of radio(amateur), and scan millions of frequencies to search for alien radio...
  12. L

    Wavelengths of a laser pulse and inductance in tuning of an FM radio

    Homework Statement Pulsed lasers used for science and medicine produce very brief bursts of electromagnetic energy. If the laser light wavelength is 532 nm, and the pulse lasts for 37 ps, (a) how many wavelengths are found within the laser pulse? (b) How brief would the pulse need to be to...
  13. W

    Are there any chemical reactions that can generate radio waves?

    I know that chemical reactions can emit light and heat, and these are part of the electromagnetic spectrum. But are there any chemical reactions that can directly produce electromagnetic emissions in the radio part of the spectrum?
  14. P

    Build Your Own Radio Transmitter & Receivers

    i want to create my own radio transmitter and receivers and i don't want to use printed circuit boards or some kits .can any please provide details
  15. D

    Unlock Code for Vauxhall Vectra CD Player

    hi this has been buggin my for a few days now, I've got a T Reg Vauxhall Vectra Diesel, a few days ago my battery went completely kapput so sorted that problem out, got in the car and noticed that my CD player is now asking for an unlock code >.<, i went to my local garage and they want £25 just...
  16. M

    Ideas for low power radio transmission in terrain

    Hi, I've been mulling over an idea (you know how it is, just to keep the grey matter ticking) on how to build a device for tracking...well anything... from hunting dogs to humans. The device would include a GPS (lat, long, altitude, vert & horz accuracy, UTC time) to give bearing over time...
  17. R

    Low Frequency Radio Trilateration

    I am simulating a trilateration process that does not require accurate timings to be transmitted as data. The trilateration process uses a known power density, at the transmission source, to within a fine tolerance. Thus, the following equation is the basis for the calculation: Power...
  18. C

    Calculating speeds of radio to a planet

    Hi! I need help with the method to approach a question, if I wish to calculate how long it will take for a radio message to reach a certain planet (just the general concept), what will be the key pieces of information I require? I know I need: the distance from Earth to said planet the...
  19. D

    Monopole crystal radio antenna length

    Good Morning Can anyone help me understand why, apparently the physical length of a monopole end feed wire for a crystal set need to be ½ the wave length of the desired signal. The reason I ask is, that I understood that, if you have a variable coil in series with the antenna, the...
  20. B

    If infared energy makes things hotter, why do microwaves use radio waves?

    If infared radiation is responsible for somethings heat, why do microwaves use radio waves?
  21. A

    Why can wire mesh reflect radio waves for telescope dishes?

    I’ve heard that the reason radio telescope dishes can be made out of wire mesh is because, so long as the size of the holes is less than (I believe) 1/10 the wavelength of the radio wave, the wave be reflected (it will see the dish as being solid). I was wondering what the physical reason was...
  22. P

    Are people radio transmitters?

    Are human beings radio wave transmitters? I recently moved to a new town and started listening to a new station on 101.9 fm. Found their broadcast plagued by static interference. Tried all the usual suspects, but it really looks like I am the source. When I approach the tuner the static...
  23. J

    How to send and receive radio waves?

    Hey guys, been trying to Google tons of things but am striking out. I'm curious how the process of sending and receiving radio waves works. What I'm looking for, more specifically, is how do you send specific wavelengths and amplitudes and then once those waves are airborne, how do you create...
  24. S

    What has radio got to do with this activity?

    what has "radio" got to do with this activity? Probably sounds silly, but what has "radio" got to do with this activity? I don't know if I'm interpreting this guy's formula right (http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q8270.html) so can someone confirm this expression for half life: A=...
  25. S

    Radio Frequency Quadrupole Linac Question

    (Sorry if this is off-topic for this group. There's really no group that addresses accelerators in the Physics Forums) I've looked at many examples of RFQ linear accelerators. Most of them share the same characteristics: 1. So-called vane electrodes 2. Opposite-facing electrodes...
  26. L

    Finding a Material to Reflect Radio Waves

    i was trying to look for which forum to put this in so sorry if its in the wrong one. :D Im working on a project and i need a material that is able to reflect radio waves, like a mirror reflects light. any ideas for which material will reflect?
  27. F

    Uhf radio wave - determine frequency

    Homework Statement in a certain uhf radio wave, the shortest distance between postions at which the elctric an magnetic fields are zero is .34m. determine the frequency of this uhf radio wave The Attempt at a Solution i basically just divided (3x10^8)/.34 = (8.8x10^8) that is...
  28. A

    Why do we call shorter EM wavelengths rays and longer ones waves?

    I just noticed that we tend to call EM wavelengths shorter than visible light "rays" while we call we call those that are longer "waves". Why is that? Did we ever think that "rays" and "waves" were physically different?
  29. S

    FM vs AM: Which Radio Wavelength Is Bigger?

    it has been a while. i need to know which wavelength is bigger FM radio or Am radio?
  30. P

    Wave Generation from Point Sources: Interference Patterns and Radio Aerials

    Hi Everybody! I have been wondering about wave generation from point sources, and interference. I have noticed that if several point sources are sited in a line much more than one wavelength long, a very directional interference pattern develops. The closer the sources and the longer the line...
  31. J

    An AM station is broadcasting a radio wave whose frequency is 1400 kHz.

    Homework Statement An AM station is broadcasting a radio wave whose frequency is 1400 kHz. The value of the capacitance in Figure 24.5 is 8.4 X10 -11 F. The Value of the capacitance in Figure 24.4 is 8.4X10-11 F. What must be the value of the inductance in order that this station can be tuned...
  32. E

    Electronic Devices & AM Radio Disturbance: Why It Happens

    Why do electronic devices such as calculators and tv remotes send frequencies that can be picked up on am radios?
  33. J

    Grounding a Hand-Held Radio for Adventure: Radio Grounding Theory

    So, I've heard it said that when you use a hand-held radio, your body acts as a ground. Let's say I wanted to go on an adventure with my homemade flying machine (lawn chair and weather balloons). Obviously, my friends would like to know how the world looks and feels from that height. I choose...
  34. I

    What Are The Basic Physics Principal For GPS, TV and Radio?

    I'm having to do a project and i got to do a detailed presentation describing and explaining the basic physics principals for gps's, tv's and radio. Each section has to be around 3-4 minutes of explanation. Im hitting a big rut with trying to find research for it. Also I am in gr.12 physics...
  35. K

    Long Wavelength Radio Astronomy

    Just curious, what is the longest wavelength we can currently observe with our instruments, & are there are good sources for future (even if just theoretical) projects at longer wavelengths (future projects do no have to be based on Earth)?
  36. C

    Radio Waves & Interaction with Matter

    When radio waves go through certain walls , I was reading about this , do they go through the wall because their wavelength is too long to interact with the matter in the wall , Does it haft to do with the crystal spacing in the matter , and in some cases is it like light going through...
  37. U

    Why has evolution failed to utilise radio transmission & reception?

    Evolution is the greatest nano-engineer that ever existed. I always assumed that if anything was physically possible at everyday Earth temperatures, forces and velocities then it would have emerged naturally from evolution, since the evolutionary benefits are clearly enormous. eg that's why...
  38. P

    What is the relationship between the Doppler effect and the Hubble red shift?

    Homework Statement The car is approaching a radio station at 25m/s. Broadcast frequency is 74.5 MHz. What change in frequency does the driver observe. Homework Equations Doppler effect on EM waves Fo = Fs (1 (+/-) u/c) u = speed of observer c = speed of light The Attempt at a Solution...
  39. L

    Relativity radio signal Question

    Homework Statement A spaceship leaves Earth at 12 noon. At that time the spaceship clock is set to be synchronised with Earth time. It travels through space in a straight line at a constant speed 0⋅60 c. A radio signal is sent to the spaceship from Earth at 2pm. A shuttle is launched from...
  40. F

    Measure distance between players in the field via radio?

    I would like to measure the distance between team players in the field. I need a device that can signalize when a distance between 2 players of the same team approaching a certain distance (2, 3 or 4 meters). The device must be relatively small (in order to have in on a players), to...
  41. T

    BER output problem for Radio over Fiber system/Optical Comm

    Hi guys, this is my first work in optical and first simulation in matlab. I am sorry if there is mistake and I am really new to this. Here is what I did, I am simulation an entire Radio Over Fiber system with Matlab, linear system. Let me insert my code first...
  42. BobG

    My Lobotomy: A 23-Minute NPR Radio Piece on Howard Dully

    Pretty moving radio piece from NPR - My Lobotomy. It lasts about 23 minutes. When Howard Dully was 12 years old, his stepmother didn't like having him around. After shopping for child psychologists and having at least four of them insult her by suggesting that maybe she was the one that...
  43. M

    Radio Noise from the Milky Way

    First of all, new to the forums, so HELLO! I am currently working on a project and cannot catch a break on what I need to be looking for. The project consists of calibrating antennas based on the radio noise from the Milky Way. We would like to point the antenna at the center of the milky way...
  44. A

    Calculating radio station frequency given distances

    Sorry if I posted this in the wrong location, it seemed like the most appropriate board. Homework Statement As you drive down the highway, you notice that the dial on your stereo is not functioning. You have the radio tuned to a station that uses two transmission towers that are 175.0 m...
  45. K

    AM/FM Radio Waves & Diffraction

    Homework Statement Typical AM radio waves usually have a frequency between 540 kHz and 1400 kHz. FM radio waves tend to have frequencies between 89 MHz and 105 MHz. Both types of waves travel at the speed of light. In terms of diffraction, use this information to help explain why in many low...
  46. N

    Design Series LCR Circuit for 88MHz, 99MHz Rejection - 8 Ohm Load

    Homework Statement A radio reciever requires a tuning circuit that will select 88MHz but reject 99MHz, design a series LCR circuit that will filter this way for a 8 ohm load resistance. State any assumptions. The circuit should be in the following format...
  47. H

    Calculating Radio Source Intensity and Momentum

    Homework Statement At a distance of 25m from an isotropic 100 MHz radio source the intensity is 120W/m2. A) What is the rms electric field at 25m? The answer should be 213 V/m. B) Over a 2 hour period, what is the momentum given to a 4cm x 4cm surface (at the 25m distance)...
  48. T

    HOW do radio waves form at the subatomic level?

    Hello, I've been puzzling over how radio waves and other EMR are formed at the subatomic level. I understand how to produce radio waves using a function generator but I do not understand how an antenna can emit a radio wave (among other types of EMR). I've asked several people this, but all...
  49. R

    FREQUENCY: Radio to Infrared threshold

    Hi folks, EM radio signals range in frequencies from a couple Hz up to approximately EHF (30-300GHz)... As we exceed the 300GHz threshold, we begin to approach the infrared section of EM spectrum, and furthermore into the visible light area of the spectrum. My question is, what happens...
  50. S

    Solar/Sidereal day/SpiralArm/Orbital Speed With Radio Telescope

    Homework Statement Hello, I have 48-hour data from a radio telescope on Earth, and my goal is to answer these four questions: 1) Calculate the length of a solar day. 2) Calculate the length of a sidereal day 3) Explain how to locate a spiral arm on one of your plots and how to determine its...
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