radio waves

Cultural  

1. Waves at the end of the electromagnetic spectrum with the lowest frequency (less than 300 megahertz) and the longest wavelength (from a few feet to many miles). Because of their low frequency, radio waves carry very little energy compared to other electromagnetic waves. (See Planck's constant.)

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Radio waves can pass through the atmosphere and therefore are very useful for communication. Commercial, short-wave, and citizens' band radio are broadcast with radio waves, as is television.

Example Sentences

The researchers found that the radio waves are likely produced where the stars' magnetic fields collide and interact with the stream of charged material flowing toward the white dwarf.

From Science Daily • Jun. 2, 2026

Lightning releases energy across multiple forms, including radio waves, light, heat, sound, and chemical reactions.

From Science Daily • May 21, 2026

It uses radar images from satellites, which send radio waves to Earth and measure how they bounce back, showing how far floating tank roofs have risen or fallen—and therefore how much crude is stored inside.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

In 1886, the German physicist Heinrich Hertz demonstrated the existence of electromagnetic waves and discovered radio waves.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

We have examined our Sun, the nearest star, in various wavelengths from radio waves to ordinary visible light to X-rays, all of which arise only from its outermost layers.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan