How does a Radio Work - The Weather Makers

Introduction

If I had to summarise the radio mechanism in two words, it would be something like "Everything free". Sounds enticing, right? Indeed, radio services are gratis; you may then wonder why the reverence for radio diminished?

There was a time when radio was the sole means of entertainment, sole news dispenser, and last resort during an emergency. The truth is, radios are still revered as much as it was long ago, and the radio technology is still employed in various public sectors mainly to facilitate communication between law enforcement agents amongst performing multiple other features.

While radio technology's utility is still very much prevalent, most of us often wonder how radio works. Let's understand the basic framework of radio and how the arrangement makes it such a useful piece of equipment. Meanwhile you can check our suggested portable radios for your upcoming travel plan.

How does Radio Work?

You must have heard about something called “radio waves” in your science class. Radio waves are an important principle that sustains the complete functionality of the radio.

Radio waves sustain many phenomena such as navigation satellite, communication, aviation, even modern services such as the internet is possible to be rendered because of radio wavelengths. All these services have bloomed out of the bud of radio technology.

Radios are very simple devices but with unbound utility. It is something even you can build from simple electronic components. Therefore, there is no need for you to put on your thinking cap to fathom how the radio carries out its functions.

The principle involved in the functioning of radio is merely transmitting and receiving signals. And thus, the two parts that essentially define the whole radio mechanism are the transmitter and the receiver.

Transmitter and Receiver

The transmitter sends messages or signals to the intended destination via the medium of radio waves.
You can paint an image of a meandering invisible force that is pushed out of the transmitter carrying an encoded message.
This message travels miles and miles of distance to reach its intended destination, the receiver.
The receiver receives the message decoded, and the listener on the other end can hear the message properly.

Antenna

There is another part constituting the radio, and that is the antenna. The antenna is a pointy stick that can be seen in a most handheld radio.
The antenna captures some of the electromagnetic energy, energy that is a combination of electricity and magnetism, that passes by it in the form of waves. These are what you call radio waves.
The radio wave is defined by its length, speed, and frequency. As I have mentioned, the receiver captures these waves and allows you to listen to the content that it has been carrying. So that is it, that is how radio works.
The radio program is sent as signals from the radio station's antenna through the medium of radio waves; this process is known as modulation. You can listen to various radio programs through this phenomenon.

Conclusion

The mechanism of the radio is much more interesting than you might think. Various other operations are built upon the simple principle of radio waves, and a lot of the questions of “how does it work” can be understood if you understand the law of electromagnetism. We live the life of such connectivity because of these phenomena, and we have much to owe to them.

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About the Author

Tim

I am Tim, a weather enthusiast who loves to watch hurricanes and all other harsh weather conditions. I studied B.Sc(Meteorology) at the University of Miami. With excellent knowledge of Weather Forecasting, Meteorology, and Environmental Science, I am currently working in San Francisco as a Meteorologist. Also, I am a member of The Weather Channel and AccuWeather. In this blog, I will write a detailed review of Weather instruments that you need for survival and other activities.