Are radio waves sine waves?

Question

Are radio waves sine waves?

Answer 1

yes, if they are not, they would be noise.

Answer 2

yes

Answer 3

In the case of FM radio, they are superpositions of sine waves of many different frequencies so they wouldn't look like a single-frequency sine wave.  In the case of AM radio, the envelope of the signal would look like two sine waves overlaid, but the signal itself wouldn't look like a single frequency sine wave.

Answer 4

A radio wave can be represented as a sine wave if you graph it with time on the x axis and intensity on the y. Radio waves are pulses of electromagnetic energy, evidence and application suggest they exist, sine waves are mathematical proofs, they are not real but they can be applied to real world situations.

Answer 5

Indeed, radio waves are sine wave signals.  If you take an oscilloscope and look at any stage in an AM transmitter prior to the modulator and RF output stage, you will find the signals to be sine waves.  Of course, this depends upon the type of transmitter and the form of modulation used. There are also pulse carriers that are not sine wave in nature, such as in radar and in digital communication systems.

In the case of AM and FM transmitters, they are sine wave both in the RF transmitter carrier and in the modulation used.