Why don't lights waves penetrate through walls whereas radio waves do, while both are electromagnetic?

Answer 1

Common Sense: Since radiowaves have a smaller frequency than light waves, they must have less energy than light waves, since photon energy is directly proportional to frequency of the wave. This contradicts your point that radiowaves have more energy.

Answer 2

Light wave doesn't penetrate through walls because the wave did not have enough energy to penetrate it.Due to the amount of frequency and wavelenghts.But this is only for the common light wave if you referring to the light we often use.Some other electromagnetic light wave could penetrate certain things for example X-ray,Alpha ray,Beta ray,Gamma Ray and others...

Answer 3

Because light waves don't go thru walls. The wall is in the way. Radio waves are vibrating; you hear the vibrations and the sound of the vibrations goes thru walls. In spite of the wall, the air still carries the vibrations.
I think yo drugs is electromagnetic!

Answer 4

actually, common sense, visible light is higher on the energy spectra than radio waves. Transmittance of a substance, however, is dependant on the part of the spectrum you're in. the larger wavelengths and lower frequency waves have better transmittance simply because their properties allow them to penetrate further through solid substances. this effect IS limited, however, even radio waves can't go through too many solid objects (ie, radio waves do get blocked by mountains)

Answer 5

who told u that light waves don't penetrate walls, for ur info, radio waves are also part of light waves, look up the complete elctromagnetic spectrum, well let me try to answer ur question rather than complicate things for u, i htink the diff is wavelength, radio waves are stronger than normal light waves cos of the wavelength and so have a higher penetrating power, the energy propagated by the waves also comes into play...but plz i am not very sure of these things, look up any physics text book or browse the internet, its been 20yrs or so since i last studied these things

Answer 6

well if you lived in a glass-house the light waves would, and if lived in a house made of metal, the radio-waves wouldnt!


a simple answer of why however i think there is not, since it all dpends on the atomic structure of matter and how it interacts with photons of different frequency. here are some answers other people have given which may or may not help -----

Answer 7

All magnetic waves are not same. Their behavior is different at different wavelengths or frequency. Microwave is different from the one kilo hertz wave etc. SO does the light wave behaves differently from other magnetic waves.

Answer 8

Everything vibrates at different speeds.

It is said there is a spectrum of human response to vibration from high to low being:

Spiritual
Mental
Astral
Etheric (unknown)
X-Ray
Light (color)
Heat
Electricity
Sound
Solids

I would guess radio vibration has a frequency which 'resonates' with walls well enough so radio waves may pass through them while light's frequency is not 'complementary' with a wall's vibration frequency and therefore blocks the light's passage.

Answer 9

Radio waves have higher frequency than light waves so penetrating power of Radio waves is more than light waves, though both are electromagnetic waves.
i give you one more example X-Rays can penetrate through flesh but not bones, because of their penetrating power. X-rays are also electromagnetic waves.
radio waves can be blocked by a mountain that's why you don't get signal on your cellphone if transmitting tower is behind mountains.

Answer 10

Light waves do not penetrate bc instead they are blocked or bounce back.

Answer 11

Because light waves, unlike radio waves, can be optically blocked by any opaque material.