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Properties of Electromagnetic Waves

The document discusses properties of electromagnetic waves, including: 1) Electromagnetic waves can propagate through empty space without a medium and consist of oscillating electric and magnetic fields that are perpendicular to each other and the direction of propagation. 2) Maxwell's equations imply that the electric and magnetic fields of an electromagnetic wave are perpendicular to the direction of propagation and to each other. 3) Plane electromagnetic waves satisfy the wave equation in Cartesian coordinates and have electric and magnetic field vectors that are perpendicular to the propagation vector and each other.

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Gurvansh Singh Bhatia
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8 views21 pages

Properties of Electromagnetic Waves

The document discusses properties of electromagnetic waves, including: 1) Electromagnetic waves can propagate through empty space without a medium and consist of oscillating electric and magnetic fields that are perpendicular to each other and the direction of propagation. 2) Maxwell's equations imply that the electric and magnetic fields of an electromagnetic wave are perpendicular to the direction of propagation and to each other. 3) Plane electromagnetic waves satisfy the wave equation in Cartesian coordinates and have electric and magnetic field vectors that are perpendicular to the propagation vector and each other.

Uploaded by

Gurvansh Singh Bhatia
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Electromagnetic Wave:

Properties
A travelling field

An infinite sheet of
charge is suddenly
set into motion
parallel to itself.
There are magnetic
and electric fields
that propagate out
from the sheet at a
constant speed.
(a)The magnitude of
B(or E) as a function
of x at time t after
the charge sheet is
set in motion. (b) The
fields for a charge
sheet set in motion,
toward negative y at
t = T. (c) The sum of
(a) and (b).
Plane Electromagnetic Wave
A travelling field
• Imagine that all space is
divided into two regions
separated by a plane
perpendicular to the x-axis.
• At every point to the left of
this plane there are uniform
electric field magnetic fields
as shown.
• The boundary plane, which
we call the wave front, moves
in the +x-direction with a
constant speed c.
Gauss’s laws and the simple plane wave
• Consider a Gaussian
surface of a rectangular
box, through which the
simple plane wave is
traveling.
• The box encloses no
electric charge.
• In order to satisfy Maxwell’s
first and second equations,
the electric and magnetic
fields must be
perpendicular to the
direction of propagation;
that is, the wave must be
transverse.
Faraday’s laws and the simple plane wave

• The simple plane wave must satisfy


Faraday’s law in a vacuum.
• In a time dt, the magnetic flux through
the rectangle in the xy-plane increases
by an amount dΦB.
• This increase equals the flux through
the shaded rectangle with area ac dt;
that is, dΦB = Bac dt.
• Thus dΦB/dt = Bac.
Ampere’s laws and the simple plane wave

• The simple plane wave must satisfy


Ampere’s law in a vacuum.
• In a time dt, the electric flux through
the rectangle in the xz-plane increases
by an amount dΦE.
• This increase equals the flux through
the shaded rectangle with area ac dt;
that is, dΦE = Eac dt.
• Thus dΦE/dt = Eac. This implies:
Properties of electromagnetic waves
• Maxwell’s equations imply that in an electromagnetic wave, both
the electric and magnetic fields are perpendicular to the direction of
propagation of the wave, and to each other.
• In an electromagnetic wave, there is a definite ratio between the
magnitudes of the electric and magnetic fields: E = cB.
• Unlike mechanical waves, electromagnetic waves require no
medium. In fact, they travel in vacuum with a definite and unchanging
speed:

• Inserting the numerical values of these constants, we obtain


c = 3.00 × 108 m/s.
Electromagnetic waves: orientation of fields
Electromagnetic Wave Equation:
Solutions
Classes of solution to wave equation
# A plane wave satisfies wave
equation in Cartesian coordinates
# A spherical wave satisfies wave
equation in spherical polar
coordinates
# A cylindrical wave satisfies wave
equation in cylindrical coordinates
Solution of 3D wave equation:
Plane Wave
In Cartesian coordinates
2 2 2 2
2
𝜕 𝜓 𝜕 𝜓 𝜕 𝜓 1 𝜕 𝜓
𝛻 𝜓= 2
+ 2+ 2 = 2 2
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝑐 𝜕𝑡

Separation of variables
𝜓 𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧, 𝑡 = 𝑋 𝑥 𝑌 𝑦 𝑍 𝑧 𝑇 𝑡

Substituting for ψ we obtain


1 𝜕2𝑋 1 𝜕2𝑌 1 𝜕2𝑍 1 1 𝜕2𝑇
+ + =
𝑋 𝜕𝑥 2 𝑌 𝜕𝑦 2 𝑍 𝜕𝑧 2 𝑐 2 𝑇 𝜕𝑡 2
We take the following form of X(x), Y(y), Z(z) and T(t)

1 𝜕2𝑋 2;
1 𝜕 2𝑌
2;
= −𝑘 𝑥 = −𝑘 𝑦
So we may write 𝑋 𝜕𝑥 2 𝑌 𝜕𝑦 2
1 𝜕2𝑍 2;
1 𝜕 2𝑇
2
= −𝑘 𝑧 = −𝜔
𝑍 𝜕𝑧 2 𝑇 𝜕𝑡 2
where we use

𝜔2 Τ𝑐 2 = 𝑘𝑥2 + 𝑘𝑦2 + 𝑘𝑧2 = 𝑘 2


Solutions are then

𝑋 𝑥 = 𝑒 ±ik 𝑥 𝑥 ; 𝑌 𝑦 = 𝑒 ±ik𝑦 𝑦 ;
𝑍 𝑧 = 𝑒 ±ik𝑧 𝑧 ; 𝑇 𝑡 = 𝑒 ±𝑖𝜔𝑡

Total Solution is
Properties of Plane EM waves
Wave vector k is perpendicular to E
Similarly

Wave vector k is perpendicular to B


B is perpendicular to E
B, k and E make a right handed Cartesian co-ordinate system
Plane EM waves in vacuum

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