Electromagnetic Waves (Physics)

Close

Step 1: View NCERT Solutions

Exercise

Page 285

Q8.1

Page 286

Q8.2 Q8.3 Q8.4 Q8.5 Q8.6 Q8.7 Q8.8 Q8.9 Q8.10

Page 287

Q8.11 Q8.12 Q8.13 Q8.14 Q8.15

Step 2: Read Study Material

Lesson 1 : Displacement Current

Read this lesson

Lesson 2 : Electromagnetic Waves

Read this lesson

Lesson 3 : Electromagnetic Spectrum

Read this lesson

Step 3: View Puzzle

Puzzle 1

View this puzzle

Step 4: MCQ Practice Test

MCQ Test 1: Attempt 1

Start Test

Step 5: Revision Notes

Revision Notes

View

Galleries

Study Material

Go to:
POST

Lesson 1

Displacement Current

According to Amperes circuital law, the line integral of the magnetic field

around any

closed path or circuit is equal to 0 times the total current

In the calculation of magnetic field, Amperes circuital law brought in several contradictions.
When a different surface was used to find the magnetic field, the result was different.

It was concluded that a term was missing from the Amperes circuital lawthe electric field.
This electric field passes the surfaces between the plates of the capacitor used.

Each plate of a capacitor has an area A, and a total charge Q. Then, the magnitude of the
electric field E is,

Using Gauss law, the electric flux E through the surface is calculated as

As the charge Q on the capacitor plates changes with time, there is a current,
i = dQ/dt

This is the missing term in Amperes circuital law.

The current carried by conductors due to the flow of charges is called conduction current, and
the current (new term) due to the changing electric field is called displacement current or
Maxwells displacement current.

Total current, i = Conduction current (ic) + Displacement current (id)

Outside the capacitor plate, i = ic, and inside the capacitor plate, i = id

AmpereMaxwell law is given as

The total current passing through any surface, of which the closed loop is the perimeter, is the
sum of the conduction and displacement current.

Let us work out the following puzzle to recall what we have learnt so far.

Study Material

Go to:
POST

Lesson 2

Electromagnetic Waves
Sources of Electromagnetic Waves

Accelerated charges radiate electromagnetic waves Maxwells theory

Frequency of the electromagnetic wave naturally equals the frequency of oscillation of the
charge.

Nature of Electromagnetic Waves

Electric and magnetic fields in an electromagnetic wave are perpendicular to each other and to
the direction of propagation.

Electric field Ex and magnetic field By are perpendicular to each other and to the direction z of
propagation.
Ex = E0 sin (kz t) . (i)

Ey = B0 sin (kz t) . (ii)

Where,
Angular frequency
k Wave/propagation vector
Wave length
t Time

Speed of propagation of wave is /k. Using equations (i) and (ii) and Maxwells equations, we
obtain
=ck

Where,

The magnitude of the electric and magnetic fields in an electromagnetic wave are related as

Velocity of light in material medium:

Where,
Permittivity of material medium
Permeability of material medium

Electromagnetic waves carry energy and momentum and it also exerts pressure and radiation
pressure.

When the total energy (U) is transferred to a surface in time t, the magnitude of the total
momentum delivered to the surface is
Where,
c Speed of light

Go to:

Study Material

POST

Lesson 3

Electromagnetic Spectrum
DIFFERENT TYPES OF ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES

Type

Wavelength
range

Radio

> 0.1 m

Microwave

0.1 m to 1 mm

Infra-red

Light

1 mm to 700
nm

Production

Rapid acceleration and decelerations of

electrons in aerials

Klystron valve or magnetron valve

Vibration of atoms and molecules

Detection

Receivers aerials

Point contact diodes

Thermopiles, bolometer,
infrared photographic film

700 nm to 400

Electrons in atoms emit light when they

The eye, photocells,

nm

move from one energy level to a lower

photographic film

energy level.

Ultraviolet

X-rays

Gamma
rays

400 nm to

Inner shell electrons in atoms moving

Photocells, photographic

1nm

from one energy level to a lower level

film

1 nm to 103
nm

<103 nm

X-ray tubes or inner shell electrons

Radioactive decay of the nucleus

Different Types of Electromagnetic Waves

Photographic film, Geiger

tubes, ionisation chamber

-do-