RADIO WAVE PROPAGATION

SILIGURI INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

NAME:- SHOMRAJ GHIMRE

ROLL NO.:- 11900321005
DEPT. :- ECE
SEMESTER :- 5th SEMESTER
SUBJECT:- ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
INDEX
✓What is Radio Wave Propagation?
✓Properties of Radio Wave
✓Types of Radio Wave Propagation
• Ground Wave Propagation
• Sky Wave Propagation
• Space Wave Propagation
✓Conclusion
What is Radio wave propagation?
▪ Radio wave propagation is the process by which radio waves travel through space
or through a medium, such as the Earth’s atmosphere.

▪ Radio waves are the same as wireless waves.

▪ The propagation of radio waves can be influenced by various factors, including

the frequency of the radio waves, the distance between the transmitter and the
receiver, and the properties of the medium through which the radio waves are
traveling.
Properties of Radio Waves –
➢ Radio waves are a form of radiation known as electromagnetic waves. The
wavelength of radio waves is longer than the infrared light.

➢ Radio waves can travel for a long distance.

➢ Radio waves can penetrate through materials.

➢Radio waves cannot be felt and they are invisible.

➢They travel at the speed of light in vacuum. When they travel through the
materials the speed differs, depending on the object’s permeability and
permittivity.
Types of Radio Wave Propagation

➢Ground Wave Propagation:

It is also known as surface wave propagation in which the radio waves

transmit by passing through the semi-conductive surface of the earth. Here
the transmission of waves takes place at a region close to the surface of the
earth travelling beyond the horizon. This mode of propagation requires
vertically polarized waves as the horizontally polarized waves in this case will
get absorbed by the earth.
• Frequency range: 30 kHz to 3 MHz
• Transmission distance: 100 to 1000 km
 ➢ Sky Wave Propagation

This type of wave propagation makes use of the upper atmospheric layer i.e., the
ionosphere to transmit the radio waves. Here the signals radiated by an antenna bent
back towards the earth by getting refracted from the ionospheric layer. This upper
atmospheric layer is ionized that means electrical charges exist in it and the reason
behind this is the ultraviolet radiations from the sun. The ionosphere begins at 60 km
above the surface of the earth and extended upwards up to about 400 km. It suits high
frequency (HF) propagation.

Frequency range: 3MHz to 30 MHz

 ➢ Space Wave Propagation

It is also called direct wave propagation and offers a line of sight communication.

Here the signal from the transmitting antenna propagates in a straight line
towards the receiving antenna. It neither follows the earth’s curvature nor
undergoes refraction by the ionospheric layer of the atmosphere rather
propagates horizontally from one end to another.