What is a sky (skip) wave?

What is a sky (skip) wave?

• A. A wave that starts off in a straight line, bounces off the ionosphere, and returns to Earth.
• B. A wave that travels in a straight line and does not follow the Earth's surface.
• C. A wave that follows the curvature of the Earth.
• D. A wave that is absorbed by the atmosphere.

Answer: (A)

Skywave propagation is when a radio signal is sent upward, hits the ionosphere, and is reflected back down to Earth, allowing the transmission to reach beyond the line of sight. The ionosphere acts like a mirror for certain radio frequencies, so the wave travels in a straight path up, then returns to Earth at a distant location, creating a skip path. This is what enables long-distance communication without satellites or cables, and it distinguishes skywave from groundwave, which travels along the Earth's surface, and from signals that would simply be absorbed or lost in the atmosphere.

Skywave propagation is when a radio signal is sent upward, hits the ionosphere, and is reflected back down to Earth, allowing the transmission to reach beyond the line of sight. The ionosphere acts like a mirror for certain radio frequencies, so the wave travels in a straight path up, then returns to Earth at a distant location, creating a skip path. This is what enables long-distance communication without satellites or cables, and it distinguishes skywave from groundwave, which travels along the Earth's surface, and from signals that would simply be absorbed or lost in the atmosphere.