Task 1 - Electromagnetic waves in open media

Individual work

YEIMAN ENRIQUE VALENCIA SUAREZ

Group 203058_33
1090398513

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL ABIERTA Y A DISTANCIA UNAD

Escuela de Ciencias Básicas, Tecnología e Ingeniería
Teoría Electromagnética y Ondas
2022 16-04

Exercises development
Activity
Answers: (write with your own words)
1. In the context of electromagnetic waves, what is an open
propagation medium?
• It refers to media that do not have obstructions or barriers
preventing waves from propagating at their maximum
frequency.

2. Within the propagation mediums, what is the meaning of the “loss

tangent”?
• It is the measurement of signal loss in a propagating
electromagnetic wave. This number is commonly used to
estimate the quality of an insulator and to classify the
behavior of a substance or medium when a signal is applied.

3. How can we classify a medium according to the value of its "loss

tangent"?

We have the following classification:

Media Tan(δ) δ [°]

1. Perfect dielectrics Tan(δ) = 0 δ = 0°
2. Good insulators 0 < Tan(δ) <= 0,1 0° < δ <= 6°
3. Dissipative dielectrics 0,1 < Tan(δ) <= 10 6° < δ <=84°
4. Good conductors Tan(δ) > 10 84°< δ < 90°
5. Perfect conductors Tan(δ) >>> 10 δ = 90°

4. What is "penetration depth" of an electromagnetic wave?

• The distance estimates that a moving wave may penetrate

through a substance or medium. This parameter is highly
dependent on the properties of the medium and the frequency of
the wave.

Application exercise:
The following 4-step exercise describes the method to characterize an
electromagnetic wave when propagating in an open environment, for
which, each student must choose 1 propagation media of the proposed in
Table 1 and announce it within the Task 1 forum to avoid repetition.

Table 1: Conductivity 𝛔 and electrical permittivity 𝛆𝐫 of some media.

Media 𝛔 [𝐒⁄𝐦] 𝛆𝐫 [ ]
1. Copper 5.80𝑥107 1

2. Sea water 4 80
3. Air 5.5𝑥10−15 1.0005
4. Vegetable soil 1.00𝑥10−2 14
5. Dry soil 1.00𝑥10−4 3
6. Sweet water 1.00𝑥10−3 80
7. Vacuum 0 1
𝜀 = εr ε𝑜 ; εo = 8.8542x10−12 𝐶 2 /N𝑚2

Step 1: Calculate the tangent of losses Tan (δ) and the angle of losses
δ of the medium chosen in Table 1, if through it travel an electromagnetic
wave E of frequency 𝑓 = (𝐶𝐶𝐶 + 10) 𝑀𝐻𝑧. Note that 𝐶𝐶𝐶 are the last 3
digits of your identification number.

• In the medium of vacuum:

𝑓 = ( 513 + 10) 𝑀𝐻𝑧 = 523 𝑀𝐻𝑧 = 523 𝑥 106 𝐻𝑧

𝜎 𝜎
𝑇𝑎𝑛(𝛿) = =
𝜔𝜀 2𝜋𝑓εrε𝑜
𝜎 0 𝑆/𝑚
𝑇𝑎𝑛(𝛿) = = =0
2𝜋𝑓εrε𝑜 2𝜋 ∗ 523𝑥10 𝐻𝑧 ∗ 1 ∗ 8.8542x10−12 𝐶 2 /N𝑚2
6

• Angle of losses δ:

𝛿 = 𝑇𝑎𝑛−1 (0) ≈ 0°

Calculator evidence
 Figure 1: operation 1 on a virtual scientific calculator.

Step 2: According to the result obtained in point 1, classify the behavior

of the chosen medium according to one of the 5 options in Table 2:

Media Tan(δ) δ [°]

1. Perfect dielectrics (Not dissipative) Tan(δ) = 0 δ = 0°
2. Good insulators (Lost low dielectric) 0 < Tan(δ) <= 0,1 0° < δ <= 6°
3. Dissipative dielectrics (Dielectrics with losses) 0,1 < Tan(δ) <= 10 6° < δ <=84°
4. Good conductors (Good conductors) Tan(δ) > 10 84°< δ < 90°
5. Perfect conductors (Perfect conductors) Tan(δ) >>> 10 δ = 90°

Table 2: Classification of propagation media.

• The small value of the loss tangent, indicates, according to
table 2 the medium of vacuum can be considered as a perfect
dielectric or not dissipative.

Step 3: According to the classification obtained in step 2 and using Table

3 shown below, calculate the following propagation parameters of the
wave in the chosen medium:
a. Propagation constant  (gamma).
b. Attenuation constant  (Alpha).
 c. Phase constant  (Beta).

Not Lost low Dielectrics with Good

Parameter
dissipative dielectric losses conductors
𝜸 𝑗𝜔√𝜇𝜀 𝑗𝜔√𝜇𝜀 √𝒋𝝎𝝁(𝝈 + 𝒋𝝎𝜺) √𝑗𝜔𝜎𝜇𝑜

𝜶 0 𝜎𝜂 ⁄2 𝑹𝒆() √𝜋𝑓𝜎𝜇𝑜

𝜷 𝜔√𝜇𝜀 𝜔√𝜇𝜀 𝑰𝒎() √𝜋𝑓𝜎𝜇𝑜

𝜼 √𝜇 ⁄𝜀 √𝜇 ⁄𝜀 √𝒋𝝎𝝁⁄(𝝈 + 𝒋𝝎𝜺) √𝑗𝜔𝜇𝑜 ⁄𝜎

𝜇 = 𝜇𝑟 𝜇𝑜 ; 𝜇𝑟 = 1 (𝑛𝑜𝑛 − 𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎) ; 𝜇𝑜 = 1.2566x10−6 T m/A
Table 3: Propagation parameters in open media.

Note that 𝜔 = 2𝜋𝑓, 𝜇 = μr μ𝑜 and 𝜀 = εr ε𝑜

• The propagation constant:

𝜸 = 𝑗𝜔√𝜇𝜀 = 𝑗2𝜋𝑓√μrμ𝑜 εrε𝑜

Where:
𝑟𝑎𝑑
𝜔 = 2𝜋 ∗ 523𝑥106 𝐻𝑧 = 3286.106𝑥106
𝑠
𝜇 = 1 ∗ 1.2566x10−6 T m/A = 1.2566x10−6 T m/A

𝜀 = 1 ∗ 8.8542x10−12 𝐶2 /N𝑚2 = 8.9x10−12 𝐶2 /N𝑚2

Then:

𝑟𝑎𝑑
𝜸 = 𝑗(3286.106𝑥106 ∗ √1.2566x10−6 T m/A ∗ 8.9x10−12 𝐶 2 /N𝑚2 )
𝑠
𝜸 = 10.961𝑗

• Attenuation constant:
=0
Where:
 m
1.2566x10−6 T A
𝜂 = √𝜇 ⁄𝜀 = √ = 376724498.886 𝑂ℎ𝑚
8.9x10−12 𝐶 2
N𝑚2

Then:
=0

• Phase constant:
 = 𝜔√𝜇𝜀 = 2𝜋𝑓√μr μ𝑜 εrε𝑜

• Replacing the knowing values:

6 𝑟𝑎𝑑 m
 = 3286.106𝑥10 ∗ √1.2566x10−6 T ∗ 8.9x10−12𝐶2 /N𝑚2
𝑠 A
𝑟𝑎𝑑
 = 10.961
𝑚

Figure 2: operation 2 on a virtual scientific calculator.

Step 4: According to the results obtained in step 3 and using the following
equations, calculate the propagation characteristics of the wave in the
chosen medium:
d. Propagation speed 𝒗𝒑 .
e. Wavelength 𝝀.
f. The penetration depth of the 𝜹𝒑 wave in the medium.

• The propagation speed:

𝑟𝑎𝑑
𝜔 3286.106𝑥106
𝑠
𝑉𝑝 = = 𝑟𝑎𝑑
 10.961
𝑚
𝑚
𝑉𝑝 = 299.796
𝑠
• Wavelength:

2𝜋 2𝜋
𝜆= =
β 𝑟𝑎𝑑
10.961
𝑚
𝜆 = 0.573 𝑚
• Penetration depth:
1
𝜹𝒑 =
|𝛼 |
1
𝜹𝒑 = =∞
|0|
 Figure 3: operation 3 on a virtual scientific calculator.

Interpretation
Interpretation: Using the formulas we obtain a value of loss tangent
equal to zero that helped us to determine that the vacuum behaves as a
perfect dielectric media. In the other hand, for a frequency of 523 MHz
we calculate a propagation speed of 299.796 m/s, with a wavelength of
0.573 m and a penetration depth reached in the vacuum that tending to
infinity according to the attenuation constant.

Video link

URL:

References

[1] Quesada-Pérez, M., & Maroto-Centeno, J. (2014). From Maxwell's

Equations to Free and Guided Electromagnetic Waves: An Introduction
for First-year Undergraduates. Nova Science Publishers, Inc. (pp. 46-
60).

[2] Chen, W. (2005). The Electrical Engineering Handbook. Academic

Press. (pp. 513-519).