Wat is radio frequency radiation?

The space around us is filled with electromagnetic waves. These waves follow each other up with a certain frequency just like waves on the beach will crash on the sand with a delay after each other. Just like waves of water, where the frequency of crashing waves can be increased by heavy winds or stay steady under the sole influence of the moon, radio waves can vary as well by adding or decreasing energy with which these waves are transmitted. Radio frequency is the term we use to describe the oscillation rate of electromagnetic radiation that falls in the spectrum of 300 gigahertz (GHz) tops and with a 9 kilohertz (kHz) minimum. These oscillations can be picked up or sent by sensitive instruments such as antennas and transmitters that are suitable for operating in the RF-field of this frequency spectrum.

How radio frequency works

Radio frequency is based on oscillation of electromagnetic waves following each other up. It is expressed in hertz (Hz) which is a common measurement unit for any type of repeating natural phenomenon. This repetition is represented by rhythmic cycles. And although radio waves are similar to light waves they can’t be seen with the human eye due to their low oscillation in cycles per second. When the frequency is increased these electromagnetic waves leave the RF-spectrum and enter the microwave spectrum which is of a higher energy. If you go even beyond the microwave spectrum it will enter the infrared spectrum and eventually that of visible light. So in a sense radio waves are the same as light but differ in the amount of energy and frequency.

Technology that makes use of RF-technology

There exist many types of electromagnetic devices that operate in the specific RF-spectrum. These are usually wireless devices. It can be smartphones, WiFi and Bluetooth tablets, broadcast stations for radio and television, satellites and more. But also devices that are not related to communications make use of this technology. Think of car locks, garage doors, microwave ovens. Other cordless devices such as television remote controls and computer accessories make use of the infrared spectrum instead of the RF-spectrum.

You can imagine that if everyone would be using these frequencies at their own accord it would be chaos. Using a wireless device might be interfering with a neighbor’s television or radio. So it is imperative that certain wireless devices only use a small band of frequencies. Else there would be a lot of noise out there rendering the technology unusable. However even though there are a lot of rules and regulations to make sure this noise and interference is kept to a minimum there will still be a lot of signals thrown in the ether that could interfere with extremely sensitive devices. That’s why there are special materials on the market that can reduce those bad signals to an absolute minimum. DMAS is a Dutch company that manufactures isolation materials that can shield off both RF-waves and microwaves.