FunWhy does putting your hand on the radio make...
Fun

Why does putting your hand on the radio make us hear it better?

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In reality, this phenomenon is not just limited to the hands. Antennas are electrically conductive, so in theory anything capable of carrying an electrical current could behave like an antenna. Our body can dissipate a part of the energy that affects it, although in a reduced way. When it returns to the receiver, the signal that has been influenced by our body is combined with that sent by the transmitter, so that reception can both improve and be distorted.

The phenomenon is more obvious when the size of what the signal scatters is comparable to its wavelength. For example, hand movements can influence the reception of VHF and UHF signals, but they hardly do so if it is AM, since its wavelength is hundreds of meters.

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