Electromagnetic Waves

• EM waves are travelling waves of oscillating electric and

magnetic fields.
• EM waves are created by the vibration of electric
charges. The vibration creates a wave which has both
electric and magnetic component.
• An EM wave transports its energy through vacuum at
the speed of 3 x 108m/s.
• Electromagnetic waves are transverse waves
• Light, microwaves, x-rays, and Tv and radio transmissions
are all kinds of EM waves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZZ4wKYtVl8
  Consider a simple circuit shown in the figure below.

 A travelling EM wave produced by an ac generator attached to an

antenna.
• EM waves are produced only by charges that accelerate.
• Charges at rest or moving at constant velocity do not
generate EM waves.
• A travelling EM wave produced by an ac generator attached
to an antenna.
• EM waves are produced by oscillating electric currents in a
wire.
• The electric and magnetic fields in an
electromagnetic wave are perpendicular to each
other and to the direction of propagation. They are
also in phase.

• Direction of propagation for EM waves: Point the

fingers of your right hand in the direction of E, curl your
fingers toward B, and your thumb will point in the
direction of propagation.
 Properties of EM Waves
The radiated EM waves have certain properties:
• EM waves in vacuum all travel at the speed of light
c.
• The E and B fields are perpendicular to each other.
Therefore E ,B and the velocity of propagation are
three mutually perpendicular vectors.
• The E and B fields are in phase (both reach a
maximum and minimum at the same time).
• The E and B fields are perpendicular to the direction
of travel (transverse waves).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CtnUETLIFs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDwqUgDFe94
 The Electromagnetic Spectrum
• EM waves can be generated in different frequency
bands:
radio, microwave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, x-rays,
gamma rays.
• The entire range of waves with different frequencies is
referred to as the electromagnetic spectrum.
• All electromagnetic waves in vacuum have the same
speed, C, it follows that:
C=λf
Thus, as the frequency of an electromagnetic wave
increases, its wave length decreases.
Note that the visible portion of the spectrum is relatively narrow.
Exercise:
Find the frequency of blue light with a wavelength of 470 nm.
Homework
Write the uses and hazards of electromagnetic radiation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrYaSlOfVfU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgA6L2n476Y
Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZudziPffS9E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9qpbt0v5Hw
Mol lined up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycY2mUZHS84
 Polarization
Light waves can vibrate in many directions.
Those that are vibrating in one direction – in a
single plane such as up and down – are called
polarized light.
Those that are vibrating in more
than one direction – in more than
one plane such as both up/down
and left/right – are called
unpolarized (Randomly polarized)
light.
 The polarization of an EM wave refers to the
direction of its electric field.
Not all light is polarized.
Light that is a combination of many waves with
polarization in different, random directions is said
to be unpolarized.
How to Achieve Single Polarization
The most common method of achieving single
polarization is using a polarization filter.
Polarization filters are made of special materials
that are capable of blocking one of the two planes
of vibration of an electromagnetic wave.
Polarization filter serves as a device which filters
out one-half of the vibrations upon transmission
of the light through the filter. When unpolarized
light is transmitted through a polarization filter, it
emerges with one-half the intensity and with
vibrations in a single plane; it emerges as
polarized light. This is illustrated in the below
picture.
 Polarizers: A polarizer is a device that transmits
linearly polarized waves. If the incoming wave is
linearly polarized, only the component of the wave
parallel to the polarization axis is transmitted. A
randomly polarized wave will have its intensity cut in
half after being transmitted through a polarizer.
• When an unpolarized beam of intensity I0 passes
through a polarizer, the transmitted beam has an
intensity of ½ I0 and is polarized in the direction
of the polarizer.
• Now consider a polarized beam of light, with
intensity I0, encounters a polarizer oriented at an
angle θ relative to the polarization direction.
• The intensity of light transmitted through the
polarizer is:
• I= I0 cos2θ
• After passing through the polarizer, the light is
polarized in the same direction as the polarizer.
Ex1. Vertically polarized light with an intensity of 515w/m2
passes through a polarizer oriented at an angle θ to the
vertical. Find the transmitted intensity of the light for
A) θ = 100 B)00 C)450 D) 900
A. I= I0 cos2θ = 515w/m2 cos2100= 499w/m2
B. 515w/m2
C. 258w/m2
D. 0
2. A vertically polarized beam of intensity I0 passes through
two polarizers, the first with transmission axis at 300 to the
vertical and the second with its transmission axis rotated an
additional 300 to the vertical.
a. I = I0 cos2(300) = ¾ I0
b. I= I0 cos2θ = ¾ I0 cos2(300) = 9/16 I0
3. Unpolarized light with an intensity of 600w/m2
passes through a polarizer oriented at an angle 300 to
the vertical and transmitted to the second polarizer
which has transmission axis of 600 from the vertical.
Find the transmitted intensity of the light?
4. Randomly polarized light is incident on a system of
two polarizers. The second polarizer is oriented at
angle of 450 with respect to the first. If the light that
emerges from the system has an intensity of 23
W/m2, what is the intensity of the incident light?
5. You have two polarizing filters lined up the same
way. How can you reduce the light passing through
these filters to nothing ?
6. Unpolarized light of intensity I0 is passed through
two polarizers whose transmission axes differ by 53.
What is the intensity of the light that has passed
through both polarizers?