Question
Question: How does the velocity of radio waves compare with the velocity of visible light waves ?...
How does the velocity of radio waves compare with the velocity of visible light waves ?
Solution
Light moves in waves, and all electromagnetic radiation travel at an equal speed which is nearly 3×108ms−1 by a vacuum. We name this the "speed of light"; nothing can travel faster than light speed. In a vacuum, all light goes at the same speed, with no concern about the wavelength or frequency.
Complete step-by-step solution:
speed of electromagnetic wave in vacuum is given by: -
c=ϵoμ0
c=frequency×wavelength
As we move from gamma rays to radio waves, the frequency drops, and wavelength rises, thereby keeping the product constant. So, velocity is the same but wavelength is changed.
All light goes at an equal speed in a vacuum. What causes different kinds of light to different is its wavelength. When the electric field moves upward and downward, and the magnetic field moves left and right, both are perpendicular to each other and to the light's direction in which light is moving. If the electric field moved up as high as it can travel, then moved as low as it can travel, and then came back, the distance travelled by light through that time will be the wavelength, and period will be the time which it takes, and the number of times it occurs in one second is the frequency. More energy performs, the electric field oscillates faster up and down, so the wavelength is shorter, but propagation's speed remains the same.
All electromagnetic waves will move at the same speed in a vacuum.
The variations are negligible, so we refer to the speed as c, or the speed of light, which is 3×108ms−1 .
Additional Information: - Frequency also represents a significant role; it estimates how many times the wave rounds per second. Wavelength is inversely proportional to frequency. Gamma rays have the highest frequencies and smallest wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum, while radio waves are opposite with low-frequency large wavelengths.
Note: Electromagnetic waves such as radio waves, visible light, ultraviolet rays, gamma rays x-rays travel at the same speed in a vacuum. A changing electric field will cause a changing magnetic field and vice-versa—the two are related. These dynamic fields form electromagnetic waves. Velocity of electromagnetic waves is not dependent on the medium.