LESSON 1: ELECTROMAGNETISM SPECTRUM
L 1.1: BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES THEORY
ELECTROMAGNETISM
Electromagnetism is a branch of Physics, that deals with the electromagnetic force that occurs between
electrically charged particles.
ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM: PARTNERS IN CRIME
ELECTRICITY is the phenomenon associated with stationary or moving electric charges. The various
manifestation of electricity is caused by the accumulation or motion of the number of electrons.
ELECTRICITY = ACCUMULATIONS OR MOTION OF ELECTRONS
MAGNETISM is caused by the motion of electric charges that cause the attraction and repulsion forces. The
motion of electrons that circle around the nucleus generates an electric current causing for electron to act as a
microscopic magnet.
ELECTRICITY →MAGNETISM→ELECTRIC FIELD AND MAGNETIC FIELD (changes of motion)
ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE THEORY
Electromagnetic waves are also known as EM waves. Electromagnetic radiations are composed of
electromagnetic waves that are produced when an electric field comes in contact with the magnetic field. It can
also be said that electromagnetic waves are the composition of oscillating electric and magnetic fields.
Electromagnetic waves are solutions of Maxwell’s equations, which are the fundamental equations of
electrodynamics.
SCIENTISTS BEHIND ELECTROMAGNETIC THEORY
HANS CHRISTIAN ØRSTED (1820)
A Danish physicist and chemist discovered that an electric current in a wire can deflect a magnetized compass.
He discovered that a magnetic needle aligns perpendicularly to a current-carrying wire and the relations
between electricity and magnetism.
ANDRE-MARIE AMPERE
Inspired by Orsted’s discovery, he conducted different experiments explaining the relationship between the flow
of electric current and magnetic force.
AMPERE’S LAW states that the magnetic field created by an electric current is proportional to the size of that
electric current with a constant of proportionality equal to the permeability of free space.
MICHAEL FARADAY (1821)
He discovered electromagnetic induction, the process of creating electric current with a magnetic field. His
discovery led to a convenient way of generating electricity on a large scale.
JOSEPH HENRY (1829)
He discovered how to improve an electromagnet by warping a large number of coils around the core. And in
1831, he created a large electromagnet and discovered the principle of self-induction.
JAMES CLERK MAXWELL
A physicist and mathematicians added two principles of electromagnetism:
1. A changing electric field in space produces a magnetic field,
2. A changing magnetic field in space produces an electric field.
He also proposed that the alteration of electric and magnetic fields can be thought of as a form of moving
energy. He further thought that this form of energy is a wave called electromagnetic wave. With the help of
other scientists, discoveries concluded that the speed of EM waves is constant and approximately 3 x10^8
m/s.
Heinrich Hertz
He further explored Maxwell's discoveries and was able to generate and detect electromagnetic waves.
L1.2 ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELDS TOGETHER
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ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES (EM waves)
First postulated by James Clerk
Maxwell and later confirmed by
Heinrich Hertz.
Accelerating electrons produce
electromagnetic waves and
transverse in nature. According to
Maxwell, electromagnetic waves are
moving energy or alteration of electric
and magnetic fields.
Generally, an electric field is produced
by a charged particle. A force is
exerted by this electric field on other charged particles. Positive charges accelerate in the direction of
the field and negative charges accelerate in a direction opposite to the direction of the field.
The Magnetic field is produced by a moving charged particle. A force is exerted by this magnetic field
on other moving particles. The force on these charges is always perpendicular to the direction of their
velocity and therefore only changes the direction of the velocity, not the speed.
So, the electromagnetic field is produced by an accelerating charged particle. Electromagnetic waves
are nothing but electric and magnetic fields traveling through free space.
An accelerating charged particle is when the charged particle oscillates about an equilibrium position.
Like other waves, EM waves travel through any medium but unlike other waves, they can travel to
vacuum and travel at the speed of 299 792 458 m/s.
WAVE SPEED, FREQUENCY, AND WAVELENGTH
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WAVE speed is denoted by v and expressed on the unit of m/s. Wave speed (v) is constant and at the
speed of 299 792 458 m/s, the speed of light in vacuum and denoted by c.
Thus…
Wave speed = Speed of light
v=c
FREQUENCY is the number of waves that pass within a specific time (period).
f=1/T
WAVELENGTH is the distance between two near points of waves and is denoted by λ.
Coming back to the definition of wave speed, it is the distance travelled by wave per unit of time.
v= λ/T
v=fλ
In short, the wave speed is equal to the product of its frequency and wavelength, and this implies the
relationship between frequency and wavelength.