Cellular Communications Explained

A signal may be radiated or transmitted at a certain point, and the radio waves travel

outwards – much like the waves seen on a pond if a stone is dropped into it. As they move

outwards they become weaker, as they have to cover a much wider area. However, they can

still travel over enormous distances – light can be seen from stars many light years away.

Radio waves can travel over similar distances. As distant galaxies and quasars emit radio signals

these can be detected by radio telescopes, which can pick up the minute signals and then analyse

them to give us further clues about what exists in the outer extremities of the universe.

While the waves on a pond become weaker as they move further outwards, the same is true of radio

waves because the