8.

ELECTROMAGNETIC
WAVES

SOURCES OF ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES

➢ Consider a charge oscillating with some frequency. (An oscillating charge

is an example of accelerating charge.)
➢ This produces an oscillating electric field in space, which produces an
oscillating magnetic field, which in turn, is a source of oscillating electric
field, and so on.
➢ The oscillating electric and magnetic fields thus regenerate each
other, as the wave propagates through the space.
An electromagnetic wave is a wave radiated by an accelerated
charge and which propagates through space as coupled electric
and magnetic fields,oscillating perpendicular to each other and
to the direction of propagation of wave.

➢The frequency of the electromagnetic wave naturally equals the

frequency of oscillation of the charge.

➢The energy associated with the propagating wave comes at the

expense of the energy of the source – the accelerated charge.
 REPRESENTATION OF EM WAVE

• Fig show a typical example of a plane electromagnetic wave

propagating along the z direction .
• The electric field Ex is along the x-axis, and varies sinusoidally with
z, at a given time.
• The magnetic field By is along the y-axis, and again varies
sinusoidally with z.
• The electric and magnetic fields Ex and By are perpendicular to each
other, and to the direction of propagation z.
We can write Ex and By as follows:

• λ is the wavelength.

•ω is the angular frequency.

• k is the propagation vector or angular wave number and its

direction describes the direction of propagation of the wave.
 ω
The speed of propagation of the wave is ( ).
𝑘

Using Eqs for Ex and By and Maxwell’s equations,

Here, wave is travelling through free space or air.

c=
E 0

B 0
 An electromagnetic wave is propagating through a medium also.
Then, velocity of electromagnetic waves becomes,

Where, μ is the permeability and ϵ is permittivity of the medium.

Thus, the velocity of an em wave depends on electric and magnetic

properties of the medium.

EM wave is transverse in nature.

MAGNETISM-ASSIGNMENT 13
REPRESENTATION OF EM WAVE
ENERGY AND MOMENTUM ASSOCIATED
WITH ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE
 The energy density associated with electric field =

1
u E = 2 0 E
2

The energy density associated with magnetic field =

1
=
2
u B
2
B
0
 As electromagnetic wave contains both electric and magnetic fields,
there is a non-zero energy density associated with it.

u =u +u E B
➢Consider a plane perpendicular to the direction of
propagation of the electromagnetic wave.

➢If there are, on this plane, electric charges, they will be

set and sustained in motion by the electric and magnetic
fields of the electromagnetic wave.

➢The charges thus acquire energy and momentum from the

waves.

➢ This just illustrates the fact that an electromagnetic

wave (like other waves) carries energy and momentum. Since
it carries momentum, an electromagnetic wave also exerts
pressure, called radiation pressure.
The amount of momentum transferred is very small since ‘c’ is
very large.
 2U
p=
c