Article: Radio waves can be affected by movement

JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
Jerusalem Post
03-17-1996
Why does radio reception fluctuate (especially, it seems to me, on FM), when doors are opened or closed or when people move around the room?

Esther, Jerusalem.

Prof. Shaul Yatziv of the Hebrew University's Rakah Institute of Physics replies:

The human body is a good conductor of electricity, and reception of radio and TV waves, which are electromagnetic, can be affected by people as well. FM works on shorter waves than AM, and thus the effect is more pronounced. The waves are produced in repeating lines, so a person's movement in a room can distort the sound or the picture.

Metal objects, which also conduct electricity, may also affect ...

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