Radio waves vs light waves

The below answer is from the top of my knowledge. I haven't especially
studied physics, but I had some interest in the field at school, that is
about 10 years ago.


Jay Honeck wrote:

Okay, here's a weird one for the group: Radio waves are the same as light
waves, except they're not in the visible spectrum, right?

Wrong. Light is made of of particules which move in an approximate
straight line. I say approximate, because it's not going perfectly
straight. Light going perfectly straight is called 'laser'. The normal
light is not going perfectly straight, that is why you can see a large
area on the highway during the night.

Radio waves is electricity. Remember the atoms drawing from school? The
center of the atom (nucleus) is made of protons (positive charge) and
neutrons (neutral charge), and electrons (negative charge) circle around
the nucleus. To produce electricity you make the electrons to circle
faster than usual. When electrons are going fast enough they will leave
their nucleus and hit the lectrons of the next atoms, replacing it.
Electricity is the form of energy caused by this electrons activity.
When you understand the basic of electricity (what I stated was the very
basic, the reality is clearly more complex and beyond my understanding)
it becomes obvious that electricity doesn't go straight, but instead in
any direction, as long as the matter can handle it (that is, you can
lock electricity within a copper wire because the surrending matter is
not compatible atomic-wise). For radio waves you simply emit electric
signal directly into the air. Unlike for electricity used as power,
electricity used as radio waves is very light (powerless) but very
controled (the frequency must be very precise for the receptor to be
able to reproduce the original signal).


Here's why it matters: As we were departing from Muscatine, IA today (a
beautiful day to fly in the Midwest, BTW -- clear and warm) after a great
lunch, my gaze fell on their on-field VOR transmitter. Focusing closely on
the "Hershey's Kiss"-shaped structure (with my new glasses -- wow, what a
difference a new prescription makes!), I wondered aloud if the lens in my
eye was at that moment focusing powerful radio waves onto my retina.

I wouldn't think that is the case. Lens are designed to focus the light
in a particular way (to compensate for your eyes lacking at doing it as
it should be), and I doubt this would have any effect on radio waves at all.


Mary, a scientist with a strong physics background, was not sure if radio
waves behaved the same as light waves.

I've never heard of anyone frying their retinas by looking at a radio
transmitter, but this begs the question: Can the lens in your eye focus
radio waves?

If not, why not?

Have you even lit a fire with your glasses, concentration light from the
sun onto a sheet of paper? I am not quite sure, but I think this is not
possible. Unlike a magnifying glass, your glasses lens are designed to
focus the light, not concentrate it. I don't wear glasses; when you
stare at the sun do you think it burns you eyes harder with glasses than
without it?

Eventhoug radio waves behave like light, I doubt the glasses wouldn't
have any effect, as I don't think it concentrate the waves, just focus
it, and also because radio waves are very light.

Again I am no physicians. Just my 2¢ here.

Tom