CH32: Electromagnetic Waves

Maxwells equations and electromagnetic waves

sinusoidal electromagnetic waves
Passage of electromagnetic waves through matter
Energy and momentum of electromagnetic waves
*(Not required)Wave addition and the formation
of a standing electromagnetic wave

Introduction
If an electric field vector propagates,
it generates a magnetic field vector.
Or, is it the other way?
What do you think? Or is it just
another chicken and egg debate
Electromagnetic waves are
everywhere: visible light, radio
waves, microwave, gamma rays, X
rays! Even in vaccum!

Maxwells equations
After Ampere and Faraday came James Clark Maxwell. He
penned a set of four equations that draw Gauss, Ampere, and
Faradays laws together in a comprehensive description of the
behavior of electromagnetic waves.
Dont hate Maxwell for these equations. Arent they elegant?

Qencl
E

d
A
=

B dA = 0

d
E dl = 0 dtB

d
B dl = 0 (iC + 0 dtE )

Creating electromagnetic waves

A point charge can generate electromagnetic
wave if is being accelerated.
The point charge below is oscillating in simple
harmonic motion (what does it mean for
acceleration?)
How would the magnetic field lines look like?
(Imagine the moving charge as current)

Maximum +y

Maximum -y

Electromagnetic waves occur over a wide range

Where wavelength is large, frequency is small.
The range extends from low energy and frequency (radio and
television) to high energy and small wavelength (gamma rays).
Shorter wavelength means higher frequency, thus higher energy

The visible spectrum

The visible spectrum is a very small range compared to the entire
electromagnetic spectrum.
Visible light extends from red light at 700 nm to violet light at
400 nm.

The propagation of electromagnetic waves and speed of light

c=

1
0 0

Experimentally, people know this in the 1800s.

Is it a coincidence?

Qencl
E

d
A
=

B dA = 0

In order to satisfy Gausss laws, can E and B have

components in the direction of wave propagation?
E

Plane wave: E, B are uniform behind

The wave front, and 0 in front of it.
(This is an approximation)

B
(There is no excess charge,
or currents!)

Propagation of electromagnetic waves II

How would a propagation of EM wave satisfy Faradays law, and Amperes

law? Assuming E and B are perpendicular to each other, what can we find
out?

Faradys law

dB
= Ea
dt
dB BdA B(a(cdt))
=
=
= Bac
dt
dt
dt
E = cB

E dl =

Isnt this strange?

Amperes law

B dl =

0 0

dE
= Ba
dt

dE
= Eac
dt
Ba = 0 0 Eac
Ba = 0 0 (cB)ac
1
c2 =
0 0

So strange!
Care to verify it?

Key properties of Propagation of electromagnetic waves

The wave is transverse, moving at unchanging c in a vacuum,
with electric and magnetic fields in a definite ratio, and
requiring no medium (like water or air).
E=cB

EB

Propagation direction: E B
Question: What if E and B change directions during the
propagation. For example, they rotate. And they do!

Q32.1
In a vacuum, red light has a wavelength of 700 nm and violet light
has a wavelength of 400 nm.
This means that in a vacuum, red light
A. has higher frequency and moves faster than violet light.
B. has higher frequency and moves slower than violet light.
C. has lower frequency and moves faster than violet light.
D. has lower frequency and moves slower than violet light.
E. none of the above

Q32.2
At a certain point in space, the electric and magnetic fields of
an electromagnetic wave at a certain instant are given by

This wave is propagating in the

A. positive x-direction.

B. negative x-direction.

C. positive y-direction.

D. negative y-direction.

E. none of the above

Q32.3
A sinusoidal electromagnetic wave in a vacuum is
propagating in the positive z-direction.
At a certain point in the wave at a certain instant in time,
the electric field points in the negative x-direction.
At the same point and at the same instant, the magnetic
field points in the
A. positive y-direction .

B. negative y-direction.

C. positive z-direction.

D. negative z-direction.

E. none of the above

Electromagnetic waves may be treated as plane waves

Far enough from the source and considering one polarization of the vector
planes only, the representations of electric and magnetic fields may be
treated as orthogonal and sinusoidal waves.

E y (x,t) = E max cos(kx t)

Bz (x,t) = Bmax cos(kx t)
2

c
= Why?
f
= 2f = ck
k=

Example: Fields of a laser beam

A carbon dioxide laser emits a sinusoidal em wave in x direction.
=10.6m. Emax=1.5MV/m What is E(x,t) and B(x,t)

By (x,t) = Bmax cos(kx + t) =

2

c
=
f
= 2f = ck

E max
cos(kx + t)
c

k=

Why?

If the graph shows E and B switched positions,would the wave still

Propagate in x direction?

Q32.4
In a sinusoidal electromagnetic wave in a vacuum, the electric
field has only an x-component. This component is given by
Ex = Emax cos (ky + t)
This wave propagates in the
A. positive z-direction.
B. negative z-direction.
C. positive y-direction.
D. negative y-direction.
E. none of the above

Q32.7
The drawing shows a
sinusoidal electromagnetic
wave in a vacuum at one
instant of time at points
between x = 0 and x = .
At this instant, at which values
of x does the instantaneous
Poynting vector have its
maximum magnitude?
A. x = 0 and x = only

B. x = /4 and x = 3/4 only

C. x = /2 only

D. x = 0, x = /2, and x =

Energy in an EM wave, the Poynting vector

1
1
u = 0 E 2 + B2 = 0 E 2
2
20

This should be no surprise, E and B

contribute equally to the EM energy density

dU = udV = ( 0 E 2 )(Acdt)
1 dU
S

S: Energy flow per unite area per unit time

A dt
EB
2
S = 0cE =
0
1
S= EB
0

Poynting vector:
(not pointing)

Plane wave example:

EM wave in matter
EM wave travels slower in matter.
Instead of
We have

1
in vacuum
0 0
1
v2 =
for the wave

c2 =

speed in matter.

In the next chapter, we will learn n=c/v is the refraction index for
Light
(or any EM wave)

Solar wind and solar sail

Proposals have also been made to use solar wind to gain
acceleration. It is very small, but after a long time, one can reach
extreme high speed.

Standing EM waves (Not required)

Microwave use the principle of standing waves.

An EM wave can be reflected so waves can add constructively and

E y (x,t) = E max [cos(kx t) + cos(kx + t)]
resonate in a cavity.
cos(A + B) = cos Acos B sin Asin B
E y (x,t) = 2E max sin kx sin t

E is 0 at the conducting ends!

Bz (x,t) = 2Bmax cos kx cost
And 0 at the nodes.
Why does microwave have a rotating plate?