How does a radio convert waves into sound?
How does a radio convert waves into sound?
Overview of radio waves, including discussion of frequency and amplitude modulation.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Transcript
How does a radio work?
The longest waves on the electromagnetic spectrum--radio waves--carry information from a station to a receiver. But radio waves don't carry information all by themselves.
They need to be altered, or modulated.
A signal--a transverse sound wave--overlays the carrier wave, forcing it to change. There are two ways radio stations modulate their carrier waves: amplitude modulation, or AM, and frequency modulation, FM. AM radio broadcasts a carrier wave that maintains a constant frequency, while the overlaying sound wave modulates its amplitude. And FM radio maintains a constant amplitude while the frequency varies based on the overlaid signal. AM and FM radio carry sound waves--a type of analog signal--to your receiver.
Modern digital radio carries information as a digital signal, coded in the form of numbers. Millions of radio waves--carrying sound wave signals and digital signals--reach your receiver every second.
The receiver's tuner picks out a specific signal.
Its amplifier strengthens that signal. A demodulator separates the signal from the carrier wave.
And then a speaker converts the signal to the sound waves that you hear!
The longest waves on the electromagnetic spectrum--radio waves--carry information from a station to a receiver. But radio waves don't carry information all by themselves.
They need to be altered, or modulated.
A signal--a transverse sound wave--overlays the carrier wave, forcing it to change. There are two ways radio stations modulate their carrier waves: amplitude modulation, or AM, and frequency modulation, FM. AM radio broadcasts a carrier wave that maintains a constant frequency, while the overlaying sound wave modulates its amplitude. And FM radio maintains a constant amplitude while the frequency varies based on the overlaid signal. AM and FM radio carry sound waves--a type of analog signal--to your receiver.
Modern digital radio carries information as a digital signal, coded in the form of numbers. Millions of radio waves--carrying sound wave signals and digital signals--reach your receiver every second.
The receiver's tuner picks out a specific signal.
Its amplifier strengthens that signal. A demodulator separates the signal from the carrier wave.
And then a speaker converts the signal to the sound waves that you hear!