“Frequency” in the context of electricity, Electromagnetic Fields (EMF), and wireless communication, can be thought of as the number of times something happens in a second. Specifically, it refers to how often the waveform of an electric current or an electromagnetic wave repeats itself over a set period of time. This is usually measured in hertz (Hz), where one hertz equals one cycle per second.
In electricity, frequency is important because it determines the number of times the current changes direction per second. Most household electricity in many countries is at 50 or 60 hertz, meaning the current changes direction 50 or 60 times per second.
In the context of EMF and wireless communication, frequency refers to the number of electromagnetic waves that pass a point in one second. Different types of electromagnetic waves (like radio waves, microwaves, visible light) have different frequencies. For example, FM radio waves are in the megahertz range (millions of hertz), while Wi-Fi typically operates at gigahertz frequencies (billions of hertz).
The frequency of electromagnetic waves is crucial in wireless communication as it determines the properties of the waves, like how far they can travel and what materials they can pass through. Different frequencies are used for different types of communication: for instance, lower frequencies for long-range radio communication and higher frequencies for cellular networks and Wi-Fi.
Understanding frequency helps in grasping how various electronic and communication devices work and interact with each other, and with the environment around us.
