MadSci Network: Engineering |
Kristen, I assume that you mean "the difference between radio frequency and microwave frequency." When we speak of radio frequency (rf) we are talking about the electromagnetic waves (or energy) which are being radiated from a transmitter (typically via an antenna). The term microwave frequency refers to an electromagnetic wave in the range of 300 MHz to 300 GHz (although, sometimes people place the lower limit at 1 GHz). Therefore, microwave frequencies represent a specific portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Radio frequencies represent all of the electromagnetic spectrum which can be radiated via some type of electronic circuit (i.e., the portion of the spectrum above audio and below infrared). Additionally, the term radio implies that you are trying to send and receive information (including command & control signals) on these frequencies. This means that the "transmitter" in a microwave oven is not considered a radio since there is no attempt to send or receive information. I hope that this helps.
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