Hi,I want to ask how can i refract or reflect radio wave

[Martin18]

Hi,
I want to ask how can i refract or reflect radio wave.
I know it can go trough my wall or glass in window(like wi-fi). But why does that happen? According to what we learned on physics lectures electromagnetic wave must refract or reflect when it goes from one optical medium to another. But later my teacher said that radio wave can pass trough wall without refraction or reflection.But my wi-fi signal is weaker when I'm sitting in room far away from router, so some part must be reflected...

Why does this happen ? OR would it be possible to reflect or refract my wi-fi signal with huuuuge wall or huuge mass of glass ? And what medium refract/reflect radio waves ?

Thanks

(This is not homework)

 

[Borek]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage

 

[pergradus]

index of refraction is not constant over all frequencies. It may be that the index of refraction for wood and Sheetrock for a radio wave is almost identical to air and it would pass through with almost no reflection of refraction.

The fact that your wifi signal is weaker when you're far away from the router is more due to the intensity of the waves that drop off as the distance between you and the router antenna squared.

 

[Canticle]

As em waves are transmitted by atomic scattering ALL waves are refracted or diffracted in a dielectric medium, some very slightly, as in a diffuse plasma (ion cloud) and some almost completely absorbed. Different frequencies are slowed differently (prism), - (by polarisation mode dispersal - PMD) so 'refract' differently, as do different polarisations (look up 'birefringence' for materials with different refraction co-efficients subject to polarity (Frenel's 'n').
Radio waves are very long so are very little affected, the ARE however slightly refracted. Modulation of frequncies (FM - normally via a crystal oscillator) reverts the received signal to that transmitted, but digital methodology is now taking over.
But remember, the science you learn to pass exams is different to cutting edge reality, so ensure you also put down what the old textbooks say.