Pre-Medical: Physics 191

NTRODUCTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
A changing
electric
oing electric field produces a
produces changing
electromagnetic magnetic lield
wave
known as e
waves The time varying electricand vice versa which gives rise to atransverse
each other also perpendicu to the
direction of field and magnetic field mutually
to
propagation perpendicualr
Thus the lectromagnetic waves consist of
electric and magnetic field sinusoldally
time varying
angles to each other as well as at
acting at
right
right angles to the
drecton of propagatior

HISTOR OF ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVESs

theuear 1865, Maxwell
predicted the electromagnetic waves theoretically. According to
chargesetsupamaonetic lield in its neighborhood. him, an accelerated
ln 1887. Hertz produced and detected
Soven
Seu year
electromagnetic waves
later, J C. Bose became successful experimentally at wavelength of about 6m.
in producing
5mm to 25mm. electromagnetic waves of wavelength in the range
In 1896, Marconi discovered that if one of the
spark
gap teminals is connected to an antenna and
terminal is earthed, the electromagnetic waves radiated could
the other
go upto several kilometers.
The antenna and the earth wiresírom the two
plates of a capacitor which radiates
radio frequency waves.
These waves could be received at a large distance
by making use of an antenna earth system as detector.
Using these amangements, in 1899 Marconi first established
wireless communication across the
i.e., acrossa distance of about 50 km. English channel
1. CONCEPT OF DISPLACEMENT CURRENT
When a capacitor is allowed to charge in
electric circuit, the current flows
an
through connecting wires.As
capacitor charges, charge accumulates on the two plates of capacitor and as a result,
produced across between the two plate of the capacitor
a electric changing field is

According to maxwell changing electric field intensity is equivalent to

a current through capacitor that current is known as displacement
current 1). I +q and-q be the
charge on the left and right plates of
thecapacitor respectively any instant if o be the surface chargee
at
density of plate of capacitor the electric hield between the plate is given by

E
Ep Eo A

charge on the plates of the capacitor jncreased by dqin time dt then dq =Idt

dq Idt dE
change in electric field is dE =
A E A dt A

dE Eo dtd (EA) =E ddeE

So Ad EA)
doE
The conduction current is the current due to the flow of charges in a conductor and is denoted as lc and
displacement currentis thecurrent due to changing electric field between the plate of the capacitof and
denoted as l, so the total current I is sum of I, and I, i.e. I=I +,

Arncere's circuital law can be written as

B.d-H+ dt

P85 x1 F/m lhuad/e

192 Pre-Medical: Physics
ALLEN
2. MAXWELL'S EQUATION
There are four Maxwel's equationsare given below

(1) Gauss law in electrostatics

Eds

(2) Gauss law in magnetism

Bds-0 (i)

(3) Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction: emf= Edt =- doB (ii)

dt

(4) Maxwell- Ampere's circuital law: (iv

3. HERTZ EXPERIMENT (Practical production of EM waves)

In 1888, Hertz demonstrated the production of electromagnetic Input

waves by oscillating charge. His experimental apparatus is shown
schematically in fig.
An induction coil is connected to two spherical electrodes with a nduction
cod
narow gap between them. It acts asa transmitter. The coil provides
short voltage surges to the spheres making one positive and the
other negative. A spark is generated between the spheres when Transmites
the voltage between them reaches the breakdown voltage for air.
As the air in the gap is ionised, it conducts more rapidly and the SaReceves
discharge between the spheres becomes oscillatory.
The above experimental arrangement is equivalent to an LC circuit,
where the inductance is that of the loop and the capacitance is
due to the spherical electrodes.
Electromagnetic waves are radiated at very high frequency (= 100 MH2) as a result of oscillation of free charges
in the loop.
Hertz was able to detect these waves using a single loop of wire with its own spark gap (the receiver).
Sparks were induced across the gap of the receiving electrodes when the frequency of the receiver was
adjusted to match that of the transmitter.

4. PROPERTIES OF ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES

The electric and magnetic fields satisty the following wave equations, which can be obrained from Maxwell's
third and fourth equations.

CB
-Hoo and

Electromagnetic waves travel through vacuum with the speed of light c, where

=3x10 m/s
 lectric and magnetic flelds of an
Pre-Medical Physics 193
ular to the direction of wave wave are magnetic
propagation. prependicular to each other and also
antaneous magnitudes of E and
The instantane
B in an
Hence,
ence. the
these are transverse waves UL
C electromagnetic wave are related by the expression
Electromagnetic wa waves cary
energy. The rate of
flow of
energy crOSsing a tunit
Poynting vector S.
Where
area is described by the
S-EBHo

Cloctromagnetic
troi waves càmy
momentum and hence
can exert
adiation pressure. For an pressure(P) on surfaces which is known
surface P= S electromagnetic wave with Poynting vector S, incident as

upon a
perfectly absorbing
andif inc ent upon a pertectly reflecting surface
P
The electric and magnetic fields of
x-direction can also be written as
a
sinusoidal plane electromagnetic wave
propagating in the positive
E E sin(kx -

ot) and B
where is the
B sincx ot)
angular frequency of the wave and
kis wave number which are given by
o=2 and k-
The intensity of a sinusoidal plane
electro-magnetic wave is defined as the average value of Poynting vector
taken over one cycle. S EmB F2
m
240 2u,c 2Ho-B
The fundamental sources of electromagnetic waves are
waves emitted by accelerating electric charges. For examples radio
antenna arises from the continuous oscllations
an
the antenna structure.
(and hence acceleration) of charges within

Electromagnetic waves obey the principle of superposition

The electric vector of an
electromagnetic field is responsible for all optical effects For this reason electric
vector is also called a light
vector
5. TRANSVERSE NATURE OF ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
Maxwell showed that a changing electric field produces a changing magnetic field and vice-versa. This alternate
production of time 'varying electric and magnetic fields gives rise to the propagation of electromagnetic waves.

The variation of electric field (E) and magnetic field (B) are mutually perpendicular to each other as well as
the direction of the propagation of the wavei.e., the electromagnetic waves are transverse in nature.
Proof
Consider a plane electromagnetic wave travelling along
Adirection with its wave front in the Y-Z plane and ABCD is
Is portion at time t. The values of electric field and magnetic plane wave
fcont
lield to the left of ABCD will depend on x and t (and not on
y and zthe wave under consideration
as
is a plane wave

propagating in x direction
electric flux across the
ACCording to Gauss' law, the total direction of
zero because it
does not Propagation
parallelopiped' ABCDOEFG is

enclose any charge. i.e. E dS-0

194 Pre-Medical:
Physics ALLEN

or

ABCD EFOG ADGE BCOF OCDG FBAE

since electric field E does not depend on y and z, so the contribution to the electric fhax coming from the laces

normal to y and z axes cancel out in pairs.

ie. 6EdS 6E da -0
OCDG FBAE

.. (i)
and
E.dSE dS
ADGE BCOF
= 0

Using equation (i) and (it) in equation (i), we get

EdSEds=
ABCD EFOG
(iv)

E, is parailel to dS)
Now E dS E, dScos0 -sE,dS -E, Jds (
ABCD ABCD ABCD ABCD

= E xarea of face ABCD ES ()

ds E, is antiparallel to dS
and
and E dS=E,
EFOG
dScos180 =E, EFOG (
EFOG

= E xarea of faceEFOG = E, S (vi)

of electric field on the faces ABCD and EFOG respectively

where. E and E, are the x-components
and (vi) in equation (iv), we get
Substituting the values of equations (v)
ES-ES-0 or SE E) =0 -

S 0

E -E =
0 or
E-E
with time. In other
of electric field does not change
shows that the value of the x-component
This equation
x-axis is static.
words, electric field along to the direction of the
the wave, hence the electric field parallel
Since the static electricfield cannot
propagate

propagation of the wave is zero.

i . e . E E = 0

of the wave.
field is perpendicular to the direction of propagation
electric
It means,
direction of the propagationof the
field is perpendicular to the
similarly,it can be proved that the magnetic
wave. wave, so
the propagation of the
perpendicualr to the direction of
electric and magnetic fields
are
Since both
electromagnetic wave is transverse in nature. E
 6. Various parts of electromagnetic spectrum

Radiation Discover|How Wavelength Range Frequency range Energy Propertics Application

produced range

y-Rays Henry Due to decay 10-1m to 101m 3x102Hz to 10'-V-10' eV (a) High (a)Gives
Becquerel| of radioactive 3x10 penetrating Infomation on
and nuclei. nuclear structure
power
Madame (b) Uncharged (b) Medical trea-
Curie c) Low lonising tment etc.
power

2 X-Ray Roentgen || Due to collisions 6x101m to 10?m 5 0 Hz to 2 4x10'eV to a)Low Penetrating (a) Medical
of high energy 3x1017Hz 1.2x10eV power diagnosis and
electrons with (b)other propertiestreatment
heavy targets similar to 7+rays (b) Study of
except wavelength crystal structure
(c)Industrial
radiography
Ultraviolet Ritter By ionised gases, 610-1m to 5107 Hz to 2x10'eV to 3eV (a) All properties a) To detect
Rays sun lamp 3.8x10-7m 71014 Hz light adulteration,
spark etc. (b) Photoelectric writing and
efect slgnature
(6) Sterilization
of water due to
its destructlve
action on

bacteria
]Visibie bght Newton Outer orblt electron 3.8d07 m to 8x10 Hz to 32eV to 16 eV| (a) Sensitive to (aTo see objects
transitions in atoms 7.8x107 m 4x101 Hz human eye (b) To study
gas discharge tube, molecular
incandescent solids structure
Subparts of
and liquids.
visible
spectrum 3.910 'm w 4.55x10 "m 7.69x10 Hz to 6.59 10"Hz|
|(a) Violet
(b) Blue 4.55 10'nm to
4.92 10 in| 6.59x 10 Hz to 6.10 10 "Hz|
10'm 5.77*10 'm| 6.10x 10 'Hz lo 5.20 10 Hz
(c) Green 4.92 to

5.77 10'm to 5.97x 10 m 5.20* 10"Hz to 5.03 10Hz|

(d) Yellow 5.97 10m to 6.22 10 "m| 5.03* 10"Hz to 4.82 10'"Hz|
(e) Orange 6.22x10 'm to 7.80x 10 m 4.82x 10'Hz to 3.84x10 "1lz|
(6) Red
 S. RadiationDiscover |How
No. Wavclength Range Frcquency range EnergY Propertles Applicatton
producted range
Infra-Red William (a) ReaTangement 7.8x107m to
10 m 4x10Hz to 310'"Hz| 1.6eV to
waves Herschel of outer orbital 10eV| a) Thermal effect (a) Used in indu-
(b) All properties stry, medicine
electrons in atoms
simillar to those of and astronony
and molecules.
light except a (b) Used for fog
(b) ChangeE of or haze photography
molecular vibrational (c) Elucidating
and rotational energies molecular structure
(c) By bodies at high
temperature.
Microwaves | Hertz Special electronic 10- to 0.3m Hz to 10° Hz 10ev to 10*eV (a) Phenomena
devices such as
3x10 (a) Radar and teleco-
reflection, mmunication.
klystron tube refraction and (b) Analysis of fine
diffraction details of molecular
structure
Radio waves Marconi Oscillating circuits 0.3 to few kms. 10Hz to few Hz 10eV to »0 (a) Exhibit waves (a) Radio
like properties communication
more than particle

Subparts of
like properties. 6) Tn adis
Radio aenema
spectrum
(A) Super High Frequency 0.01m to 0.1m 3x100Hz to 3x10?Hz Radar, Radio and satelite communicalion
a) SHF
(Microwaves), Radar and Television
Ultra High Frequency 0.1 m to lm 3x10'Hz to
3x10 Hz broadcast short distance communication,
b) UHF
Television communication.
Very High Frequency 1mto 10 m 3x10PHz to 3x10'Hz
c) VHF

(B) |High Frequency 10m to 100 m 3x10'Hz to 3x10°Hz Medium distance communication
(HF) Telephone communication, Marine and
Medium Frequency 100 m to 1000 m 3x10H2 to 3x10'Hz navigation use, long range communi
(MF) cation. Long distance communication.
Low Frequency (L 1000 m to 10000 m 3x10Hz to 3x10'Hz
Very Low Frequency 10000 m to 30000 m 3x10 Hz to 10'Hz
(VLF

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