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

Although the radio waves themselves do not pose a danger to Earth, the same magnetic conditions can also trigger solar eruptions capable of sending harmful particles into space.

From Science Daily • May 23, 2026

By analyzing these changes in radio waves, the team was able to trace hidden magnetic structures throughout the galaxy.

From Science Daily • May 20, 2026

The Merops autonomously seeks an incoming drone using radio waves, radar or the target’s heat signature.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

To build the system, the researchers used radio waves to inject magnons into a Helium-3 superfluid cooled to temperatures near absolute zero.

From Science Daily • May 5, 2026

It does not give off visible light, although it seems to give off radio waves.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan