The magical invisible messenger that goes EVERYWHERE!
When you yell across a playground, the sound travels in all directions. Some people hear you far away, some hear you nearby, and some might not hear you at all!
Radio waves are like invisible yells! Your radio, phone, and TV all send out invisible radio waves that travel through the air to reach other devices.
Click buttons to see different ways radio waves travel!
1. Direct Path (Line of Sight) 📡
Like using a flashlight at night - the light goes straight until it hits something. TV signals and walkie-talkies work this way!
2. Ground Wave 🏃
Like a race car hugging the track! Radio waves can crawl along the Earth's surface, following the ground. AM radio stations use this to reach hundreds of miles!
3. Sky Wave ☁️
Like a bouncy ball hitting a cloud and bouncing back down! Radio waves can bounce off the ionosphere (a layer in the sky) and come back down far away!
FM Radio (like 98.7 FM): Uses shorter waves, doesn't go as far, but sounds crystal clear! Like a laser pointer - focused but short range.
AM Radio (like 1010 AM): Uses longer waves that hug the ground and bounce off the sky. Can travel super far but has static! Like shouting - goes far but gets messy.