For my final blog entry, I want to explore the difference between AM/FM radio because, quite embarrassingly, before writing this blog I really didn’t know the difference between the two!
AM Radio
AM (or Amplitude Modulation) radio is the original format used for broadcast from c.1900 onward. Like FM Radio, AM needs to be transmitted through a carrier wave, and the primary difference between the two is in how this is done. With AM, the information is transmitted via variations of amplitude (volume/strength) within the carrier wave. AM can often be prone to more static than FM.
Although AM radio is the original format for broadcast, it has been quite unpopular for around 70 years. This is due to FM Radio and TV superseding its place.
FM Radio
FM (or Frequency Modulation) radio is a more recent invention than AM, having been invented in 1933 by American engineer Edwin Armstrong. FM broadcast is far higher quality than AM, and is much more popular today because of this. Similar to AM radio, FM also needs to transmit information through a carrier wave, however with FM it is the carrier wave frequency that is altered, instead of the amplitude.
Due to FM’s higher audio quality it is the industry standard for broadcast at the moment, and has been so for decades. However, that is not to say that AM doesn’t have its advantages. AM equipment is a lot less complex and has a lower bandwith than FM, meaning that it is comparatively easier to receive an AM signal and there are usually more stations availably within any given frequency range.
However, FM is generally accepted as being superior to AM for public broadcast, and is usually a better method for when it comes to transmitting music or radio art broadcasts.
Bibliography
- Midland Radio. 2021. What Do AM and FM Stand For? A Quick Guide. [online] Available at: <https://midlandusa.com/blogs/blog/what-do-am-and-fm-stand-for-a-quick-guide> [Accessed 5 February 2022].
- Seamount, C., 2022. Applications of Electromagnetic Waves: Radio Waves. [online] Ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu. Available at: <http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/webproj/213_fall_2017/Christopher_Seamount/page4.html> [Accessed 5 February 2022].