RADIO WAVES

LESSON 10
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

A. describe how Hertz produced radio pulses or radio waves;

and
B. give the uses of radio waves in the communication industry.
What is electromagnetism?

Dictionaries defined electromagnetism as a subdivision of

physics that is concerned with the study of the interacting
relationship of electric currents or fields and magnetic fields.
Who is Maxwell?

James Clark Maxwell is a Scottish

physicist who proposed the theory about
the relation of electric currents or fields
and magnetic fields.

In 1873, he developed the unified theory

of electromagnetism.

https://www.space.com/who-was-james-clerk-maxwell-physicist
Electric field vs. Magnetic Field

https://byjus.com/physics/difference-between-electric-field-and-magnetic-field/
 What is the theory of electromagnetism?

Before Maxwell pointed out the interrelationship of electric

current, magnetic field, and light, it is thought that the two fields
and the light were once separate forces. When Maxwell studied
these, he projected that the electric field, magnetic field, and light
are different appearances of the same phenomenon. He further
proposed four main interactions of electromagnetic forces.
 What is the theory of electromagnetism?
These are:
1. The force of attraction or repulsion between electric charges is inversely
proportional to the square of the distance between them.

2. Magnetic poles come in pairs that attract and repel each other, much as
electric charges do.
3. An electric current in a wire produces a magnetic field whose direction
depends on the direction of the current.
4. A moving electric field produces a magnetic field and vice versa.
What is the theory of electromagnetism?

Fig. 1. Show the

interaction between the
magnetic field, electric
field, and light.
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
 What are Radio Waves?

Radio waves, as defined by dictionaries, are electromagnetic waves.

• It is measured to have the longest wavelength in the electromagnetic

spectrum.

• Its frequency ranges from 300GHz to as low as 300kHz.

• Radio waves or radio pulses are also considered to be one of the most
important discoveries human has ever had because it made
communication more efficient.
 What are Radio Waves?

• Utilized in modern technology for cell phones, ICT communication,

broadcasting, navigation schemes, communications satellites, wireless
fidelity or Wi-Fi routers, and numerous other applications.

• Transport signals for television and mobile phones.

What are Radio Waves?
Applications
Applications
Applications
 How was it produced?

• Hertz put up his spark-gap transmitter.

• At both ends of his spark-gap transmitter, Hertz put two

hollow spheres of 30 cm diameter with 3m part. These
spheres acted as capacitors - a passive electronic components
with two terminals and stored electrical energy in an electric
field.
 How was it produced?

• Heinrich Hertz verified the existence of radio waves or pulses in the late
1880s.

• In 1879, the 22-year-old Hertx was seriously thinking to prove

Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism as part of his studies in Berlin.

• By 1886, while continuing his quest to verify the theory of Maxwell, he

witnessed an electrical spark in one of his devices. That spark directed
him to deep thoughts and questions.
 How was it produced?

• As he was using his transmitter in front of his students, he

applied a high voltage alternating current electricity across the
central spark - gap, it produced electrical sparks through a
process called magnetic induction. The sparks flew between
spark gaps - small gaps in the circuit.
 How was it produced?

• He started producing them using a piece of electrical

equipment called an induction coil. The induction coil
converted low voltage direct current electricity from a battery
into high voltage alternating current electricity. The electricity
crossed a small air gap at consistent intervals as a spark.
 How was it produced?

• Hertz observed that sparks caused an aggressive pulse of

electric current within the copper wires leading out to the
spheres. These uncertain electric charges produced
electromagnetic waves or radio pulses or radio waves. The
radio waves spread out at the speed of light through the air
around the wire.
How was it produced?
 How was it produced?

• He believed that the circuit was vibrating which is determined

by electrical properties called inductance and capacitance. He
identified the phenomenon called self-inductance that was
taking place in the copper wires. This phenomenon allowed
him to deduce that the electric vibrations had an
extraordinarily high frequency.
 Activity: Understanding Radio Waves
Directions: Using a piece of paper, write the definition of the terms given below.
• Capacitor
• Electric field
• electrical Transmitter
• Ultra-high frequency band
• Electromagnetic spectrum
• Electromagnetic wave
• Hertz (Hz)
• Magnetic field
• Magnetic induction
• Radio wave
• Self-inductance
• Spark-gap
• Volatage