Video Transcript
Both microwaves and radio waves are
used in telecommunications. Which have the shorter wavelength,
microwaves or short-range radio waves? Which have the lower frequency,
microwaves or long-range radio waves?
Okay, so, to start answering this
question, we first need to recall that microwaves and radio waves are both types of
electromagnetic wave. In other words, they both fall on
the electromagnetic spectrum. Now, we can draw the part of the
electromagnetic spectrum that contains radio waves and microwaves. And in this particular case, we’ve
drawn it so that moving from left to right, the energy of these electromagnetic
waves increases, the frequency increases as well, and the wavelength decreases. In other words, at this end of the
spectrum, we’ve got low-energy, low-frequency, large-wavelength waves. And as we move towards the right,
the energy increases, the frequency increases, and the wavelength decreases.
Now, this question also talks about
short-range and long-range radio waves. These are subdivisions within the
radio waves category. And specifically, short-range radio
waves are also known as short-wave radio waves. And long-range radio waves are
known as long-wave radio waves. Because both short-wave and
long-wave are referring to the wavelength of these radio waves in the sense that
short-wave radio waves have short wavelengths and long-wave radio waves have long
wavelengths. In other words, we’ll find
short-wave radio waves on this end of the spectrum towards the shortest wavelengths
available in the radio waves category. And as we move towards the longer
wavelength of radio waves, we will have long-wave radio waves.
Now, long-wave radio waves are
better at travelling further through the atmosphere because they’re not absorbed as
much by the atmosphere. And therefore, they can carry
information over much larger ranges. Hence, long-wave radio waves are
also known as long-range radio waves. And, of course, vice versa,
short-wave radio waves are not so good at carrying information over large distances
because these wavelengths are more easily absorbed by the atmosphere. And so, short-wave radio waves are
also known as short-range radio waves.
But anyway, so, to answer our first
question, which have the shorter wavelength, microwaves or short-range radio
waves. We’ve already said that as we move
towards the right, the wavelength decreases. And therefore, if we’re comparing
short-range radio waves, which are here, to microwaves, which are this whole
region. Then we see that microwaves are
further to the right on this electromagnetic spectrum and, therefore, have a shorter
wavelength. Hence, our answer for this part of
the question is microwaves.
For the second part of the question
then, which have the lower frequency, microwaves or long-range radio waves. We’ve already said once again that
as we move towards the right on this diagram, the frequency increases. In other words, if we’re comparing
long-range radio waves, which are here on the diagram, to microwaves, which are
here, we see that the lower frequency is further to the left. Which means long-range radio waves
have the lower frequencies. And that’s our answer to the second
part of the question.
Therefore, to recap, out of
microwaves and short-range radio waves, it’s microwaves that have the shorter
wavelength. And out of microwaves and
long-range radio waves, it’s a long-range radio waves that have the lower
frequency.
