Science Common Sense

339 - How do electromagnetic waves travel?

Imagine water waves in a pool. When you throw a stone into the pool, the water moves up and down, creating ripples that travel across the pool.

Electromagnetic waves are similar, but they don't need water to move. They are created by the movement of tiny particles called electrons. When electrons move back and forth, they create a wave that can travel through the air (or space) as a combination of electricity and magnetism.

These waves keep moving until they hit something that absorbs or reflects them, like a radio antenna or your eyes. That's how we can receive and see electromagnetic waves, like radio signals, light, and even Wi-Fi.