answersLogoWhite

0

Radio waves move faster in air.

Radio waves are an example of electromagnetic radiation, just as light is.

Just as materials have an index of refraction for light, they also have an index of refraction for radio waves.

All electromagnetic waves have the same speed in vacuum whether they are radio, light or gamma rays.

The speed of electromagnetic waves in a material is equal to the speed of light in a vacuum divided by the index of refraction for that type of wave. The index of refraction of glass for radio waves depends on the glass but is well above 1 whereas for air, it is more like 1.0001. A similar comparison can be made for visible light.

The index of refraction can, of course, be measured, but for air and glass one expects them to be quite different because there is a huge difference in the densities of the two materials. Air mostly empty space between molecules and so one expects electromagnetic waves to propagate at a speed very close to the speed in empty space.

As a very crude rule, one expects the long wavelength index of refraction for transparent materials to increase when the number of electrons in the medium increases.

Caveat: Statements made here would have to be modified if the energy of the electromagnetic wave were near an energy where it was absorbed by the medium.

User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

Do micro waves move faster than the radio waves?

Microwaves ARE radio waves, and they move with the same speed as all other electromagnetic waves.


Where are radio waves faster-earth or space?

Radio waves travel with the highest speed in vacuum, and slightly slower in air. So they move slightly faster in space than on earth.


Which travels faster radio waves or microwaves?

-- Microwave ARE radio waves.-- All electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed, including radio, microwaves,heat, infrared radiation, light, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays, gamma rays, and allthe others.


Where do the light waves coming from the pencil change speed?

The light waves coming from the pencil change speed when they move from air (faster speed) to the glass or water (slower speed). This change in speed causes the light waves to refract or bend.


Does infrared move at the same speed as radio waves?

Infrared waves and radio waves both travel at the speed of light in a vacuum, which is approximately 299,792 kilometers per second. This means that they move at the same speed.


How much faster does p waves move than s waves?

P-waves move around 3 km/s faster than s-waves.


What happened to the wavelength of waves as you move from radio waves down to gamma rays on the electromagnetic spectrum?

The wavelength of waves decreases as you move from radio waves to gamma rays on the electromagnetic spectrum. Radio waves have long wavelengths, while gamma rays have short wavelengths. This progression in wavelength corresponds to an increase in energy and frequency.


What waves move the fastest?

Electromagnetic waves, such as light and radio waves, move the fastest in a vacuum at the speed of light, which is approximately 186,282 miles per second.


Will a sound wave move faster in winter?

In general, sound waves will travel faster in warmer temperatures compared to colder temperatures. This is because sound waves travel faster in materials with higher temperatures, as the molecules in the medium move more quickly and can transmit the sound energy more efficiently.


Do p waves or surface waves move faster?

No. Surface waves are slower than both P and S-waves.


How spacewave came back to the earth?

Radio waves are often referred to as space waves because they have the ability to move through space. Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation.


Why person heard the message through the cell phone before they heard it through the air?

Radio waves move at the speed of light, much faster than the speed of sound.