FM & AM Radio

Have you ever wondered how a portable radio can take invisible radio waves traveling through the air and turn them into the sounds you hear? Wiggling electrons in a transmitter antenna generate radio waves that transmit information to a receiving antenna. This activity is designed to help educators guide learners through a computer-based simulation with PhET, where they will explore how changes in frequency and amplitude impact radio waves and their ability to transmit signals. Learners will manipulate variables within the simulation to observe how electron movement in the transmitter antenna influences electron movement in the receiving antenna.