О. В. Фёдорова е. В. Мезина е. В. Хамис английский язык в сфере информационных технологий и коммуникаций учебное пособие

Radio waves are known to be general means of data transport in communication engineering. Radio waves were reported to be discovered by Henry Hertz in 1887. He was conducting experiments in his laboratory: two spheres were placed on the top of two rods and charged oppositely, the scientist observed a spark between them. Close to those spheres there was placed another piece of wire with neutrally charged spheres on its ends. Hertz could see a spark between them too. This strange phenomenon proved that radio waves really existed.

In Russia there were conducted experiments in order to discover radio waves. Alexander Popov succeeded in developing a device which proved the existence of radio waves. It was a lightning detector which determined the stroke of lightning. All these experiments justified ability of radio waves to be transmitted in the open field without special conducting means (wires).

When alternating current passes through a piece of wire, electromagnetic field is produced around it. This electromagnetic field fluctuates according to changes in electric current. The fluctuations can spread to great distance very quickly, their speed being close to light speed (about 300000 km/s). If there is a piece of wire or an aerial in the distance, it can receive these fluctuations. Data transportation takes place. Hence, radio waves are a form of electromagnetic radiation, created whenever a charged object (in normal radio transmission, an electron) accelerates with a frequency that lies in the radio frequency (RF) portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. In radio, this acceleration is caused by an alternating current in an antenna. Radio is the wireless transmission of signals, by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light.

Radio waves have specific features: frequency and period. Fluctuation frequency of a radio wave f Hz is a number of fluctuations per a unit of time. Fluctuation period T sec is a time of one full fluctuation. Radio waves are divided according to the frequency range:

Low-frequency with fluctuation rate is about 30 kHz – 300 kHz;

Mid range – about 300 kHz – 3 MHz

High frequency – over 3 MHz

Radio frequencies occupy the range from a few tens of hertz to three hundred gigahertz, although commercially important uses of radio use only a small part of this spectrum.

To transmit data there are used special wave bands because wave transmission of certain frequency depends greatly from surrounding environment and noises. That is why radio waves are usually classified according to the following wave bands: long (kilometric) waves, medium (hectometric) waves, short waves, ultrashort waves (UHF), metric waves, microwaves, centimetric (infrared) waves, millimetric (visible light) waves, and submillimetric(X-rays and gamma rays) waves. Since the energy of an individual photon of radio frequency is too low to remove an electron from an atom, radio waves are classified as non-ionizing radiation.

One can often hear of radio waves in our everyday life. The most common example of receiving and transmitting radio waves is cellular phones. Radio waves help to transmit data from satellites to TV system and broadcast system. Even micro ovens (or SHF – Super High Frequency ovens) in our kitchens use radio waves to warm food.