ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Ground wave

Okay kiddo, imagine you have a magic wand that sends out invisible waves, just like the waves of sound that travel through the air from your favorite song on a speaker. Ground waves are kind of like that, but instead of traveling through the air, they travel through the ground.

When a radio station sends out a signal through the antenna, the waves can travel through the air, but they can also travel through the earth's surface. These waves can go on for a long time and travel really far, which is why sometimes you can pick up radio stations from far away.

Ground waves work best when you're closer to the radio station and there are fewer obstacles in the way, like hills or buildings. That's why sometimes your radio might have a harder time picking up a station when you're in a valley or inside a building, where the waves have a harder time getting through. But if you're outside in a flat area with no tall buildings around, you might be able to pick up the station with a little bit of static.

So, to sum it up, ground waves are like invisible waves that travel through the ground and help radio stations reach farther distances.