Radio Wave Propagation Flashcards
This wave is composed of two components, the
magnetic field (H) and the electric field (E).
Transverse Electromagnetic Wave (TEM)
The distance that the radio wave travels in the time of one cycle
WAVELENGTH
This refers to the physical orientation of the E
field on space
POLARIZATION
E field has a particular direction in space either
vertical or horizontal
LINEAR POLARIZATION
E field is rotating about the axis of the direction of
propagation
CIRCULAR POLARIZATION
Similar to circular polarization except that E and H
are unequal
ELLIPTICAL POLARIZATION
Polarization with no fixed pattern
RANDOM POLARIZATION
A line drawn along the direction of propagation of the wave
RAY
A surface of constant phase of the wave
WAVEFRONT
This refers to the rate at which energy flows
through a unit area of surface in space
POWER DENSITY (PD)
This states that power density is inversely
proportional to the square of the distance from
the source
INVERSE SQUARE LAW
The bending of radio wave as it
passes from one medium to another
at an angle due to the changing of
direction and speed of an EM wave as
it passes from one medium to
another
REFRACTION
This refer to the redistribution of
energy within wavefront when it
passes near the the edge of an
opaque object while allowing
seconday waves to sneak around
the corner of an obstacle.
DIFFRACTION
Every point on a wavefront acts as a source of secondary waves.
Huygen’s Principle
Superposition of waves traveling different paths.
Interference
Travels along Earth’s surface; used for AM radio below 2 MHz.
Ground Wave Propagation
Reflected by ionosphere; used for HF bands.
Sky Wave Propagation
Line-of-sight wave propagation; used for VHF/UHF.
Space Wave Propagation
the area that is between the outer limit of the ground wave range
and the inner edge of the energy of return from the ionosphere.
Skip zone
the distance between the originating site and the beginning
of the atmospheric return
Skip distance
this refers to the boundary line beyond which direct rays of the radio
waves cannot be propagated over the Earth’s surface
Radio Horizon
