Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Light speed vs. radio speed.

  1. #1
    Bad address email on file
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    NH
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    212

    Light speed vs. radio speed.

    I read just recently that radio waves travel at light speed. However, if radio is a wave of vibration, how could it travel at light speed? I am not an astronomer nor a super sluth scientist, nor will I ever claim to be, but I just wanted to get some other opinions about this.

    :cheers:

    Cowboy

  2. #2
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    609
    Quote Originally Posted by Cowboy
    I read just recently that radio waves travel at light speed. However, if radio is a wave of vibration, how could it travel at light speed? I am not an astronomer nor a super sluth scientist, nor will I ever claim to be, but I just wanted to get some other opinions about this.

    :cheers:

    Cowboy
    They are part of the same family, electro magnetic waves.
    Your radio tunes into one range, your eyes another.

    This may be of interest
    http://hea-www.harvard.edu/~efortin/.../EMR_all.shtml
    or well, maybe not!

    Blows my mind really:hammer:

    Rick
    Last edited by rsandr; 08-13-2004 at 01:38 PM. Reason: adding link

  3. #3
    Master OptiBoarder chm2023's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Camp Hill/NYC
    Occupation
    Other Eyecare-Related Field
    Posts
    2,196

    mine is not to reason why

    All electromagnetic radiation (xrays or microwaves or ultraviolet or whatever) travels at the speed of light. So that's one thing I remember from physics. (Still waiting to remember something useful from calculus!!!)

  4. #4
    RETIRED JRS's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2000
    Location
    Vancouver, WA
    Occupation
    Other Optical Manufacturer or Vendor
    Posts
    862
    Yes, all electromagnetic radiation -- from radio waves to x-rays -- travel at the speed of light. In empty space this speed is approximately 300,000 kilometers per second! We can even predict the wavelength of an electromagnetic wave if we know the time it takes for the charge to oscillate once, returning to its original location. This time is called the "period", T, of the wave. By multiplying the period with the speed of light (c), we can determine the wavelength of any wave.
    J. R. Smith


  5. #5
    Manuf. Lens Surface Treatments
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    in Naples FL for the Winter months
    Occupation
    Other Optical Manufacturer or Vendor
    Posts
    23,240
    The velocity (or speed) of a radio wave radiated into free space by a transmitting antenna is equal to the speed of light - 186,000 miles per second or 300,000,000 meters per second. Because of various factors, such as barometric pressure, humidity, molecular content, etc., radio waves travel inside the Earth's atmosphere at a speed slightly less than the speed of light. Normally, in discussions of the velocity of radio waves, the velocity referred to is the speed at which radio waves travel in free space.

    The frequency of a radio wave has nothing to do with its velocity. A 5-megahertz wave travels through space at the same velocity as a 10-megahertz wave. However, the velocity of radio waves is an important factor in making wavelength-to-frequency conversions..

  6. #6
    What's up? drk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Ohio
    Occupation
    Optometrist
    Posts
    9,387
    Cowboy, you are probably thinking about sound waves! That's true for what comes out of your radio, but not what goes in it!;)

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Transitions and AR
    By Jim Schafer in forum Smart Lens Technology by Transitions Optical
    Replies: 14
    Last Post: 07-03-2006, 05:16 AM
  2. tinkering with polarization
    By Jeff Trail in forum Ophthalmic Optics
    Replies: 30
    Last Post: 10-20-2003, 10:49 PM
  3. hagi
    By hagi in forum Ophthalmic Optics
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 03-13-2003, 08:36 AM
  4. Polarisation
    By Corey Nicholls in forum Ophthalmic Optics
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 06-17-2001, 02:48 AM
  5. the speed of light was fun lets try another..
    By Jeff Trail in forum Ophthalmic Optics
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 09-20-2000, 07:26 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •