Physics: Principles and Problems © 2017

Chapter 26: Electromagnetism

Section 2: Electric and Magnetic Fields in Space

1 Introduce
student text pp. 710–719
Bellringer Activity
Perpendicular Waves Visually depict the two perpendicular fields of an electromagnetic wave. Have one student
wave a 4- to 6-m gymnastics ribbon up and down in a sine wave, parallel with the walls. Be sure that there are no
obstructions to the flow of the ribbon. Have another student stand next to the first student and, stooping down,
wave a second ribbon sideways, parallel to the floor. Again, make sure there are no obstructions and that the two
ribbons don’t interfere with each other. Explain that electric and magnetic waves vibrate perpendicular to each
other and perpendicular to the direction of travel. Remind students that, unlike the ribbons, electric and magnetic
waves have the same frequency and a fixed phase relationship to each other. BL Visual-Spatial EL

Tie to Prior Knowledge

Wave Properties Students will need to recall the definition of a wave and the definitions of frequency and
wavelength. It will also be useful for students to refresh their knowledge about other wave properties, including
speed, amplitude, phase, and period.
Resources
Chapter 26 Transparency 3-Features of an Electromagnetic Wave-Student-Editable
Chapter 26 Transparency 3-Features of an Electromagnetic Wave-Teacher-Editable
Chapter 26 Transparency 4-Examples of Electromagnetic Radiation-Teacher-Editable
Chapter 26 Transparency 4-Examples of Electromagnetic Radiation-Student-Editable

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 Physics: Principles and Problems © 2017
Chapter 26: Electromagnetism
Section 2: Electric and Magnetic Fields in Space

2 Teach

What are electromagnetic waves?

student text pp. 710–713
Use Figure 5 and Figure 6
You can help students understand the connection between electric and magnetic fields by having them look at the
combined fields in Figure 5. Ask them to describe the orientation of the electric field with respect to the magnetic
field. perpendicular You can then use this understanding to help students with Figure 6. Additionally, have
students compare and contrast Figure 6 with Figure 1 in Chapter 15. OL Visual-Spatial

Reinforcement
Wavelength, Frequency, and Energy Explain to students that it is accurate to describe electromagnetic waves
by their wavelengths, frequencies, or energies. Scientific convention, however, is to categorize radio waves in
terms of their frequencies (such as millions of hertz), optical and infrared light in terms of their wavelengths (in
nanometers, which is billionths of a meter; 109 m), and X-rays and gamma rays in terms of their energies (in
electron volts; eV).

Transmitting Electromagnetic Waves

student text pp. 714, 715
Concept Development
Wave Travel Ask students to explain why electromagnetic waves travel through empty space, but sound waves
cannot. Sound waves are pressure waves that are carried by vibrations of particles. Space is a vacuum and has few
atoms or molecules of gas that can vibrate. Electromagnetic waves, on the other hand, can propagate through
empty space via their mutual interaction. That is, they do not require a medium in which to travel.

Using Models
Radio-Wave Propagation Students can create a model that reflects how radio waves propagate from a point
source. Ask students to glue a glass marble to the center of a piece of Bristol board or heavy paper, then draw
concentric circular rings of ever greater radii with the marble at the center. After applying glue along these lines,
students should lightly sprinkle sand onto the glue. The pattern is very similar to how ripples form on a still pond
when a stone is dropped into it. OL Kinesthetic EL

Students gain experience with electromagnetic waves in Wave Signals.

Content Background
Maxwell James Clerk Maxwell developed a model of how field lines could transmit electric and magnetic forces
and was able to translate them into equations describing E and B fields. These equations encompassed Coulomb’s,
Ampère’s, and Faraday’s laws, and a law relating magnetic fields due to the fact that there are no magnetic
monopoles. When he combined the equations representing the laws, they predicted that an oscillating electric
charge would produce electric and magnetic fields that moved in space at a velocity given by v = 1/(0µ0).
Substituting numeric values gave a velocity of 3 × 108 m/s—the speed of light. Maxwell’s work led to the
predictions of the existence of electromagnetic waves and that light was just such a wave.

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
Physically Impaired You can convey the nature and range of the electromagnetic spectrum without the use of
ropes and springs by having students visualize waves with references to the everyday world. First have them
imagine a wave that is as long as the school, moving so fast that it can circle Earth seven times per second. After
soliciting ideas from students, reveal that this image describes a radio wave. Have them repeat the exercise with a
wave that travels at the same speed, but has a wavelength approximately equal to the width of their finger. This is
a microwave signal. Students can go several more rounds with this activity, brainstorming various other visual
references to electromagnetic waves of different wavelengths. BL Visual-Spatial

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 Physics: Principles and Problems © 2017
Chapter 26: Electromagnetism
Section 2: Electric and Magnetic Fields in Space

Use Figure 7
Ask students to look closely at Figure 7 and state which types of waves have the highest frequency. gamma rays
Which have the longest wavelength? radio waves What is the relationship between frequency and wavelength?
Frequency and wavelength are inversely related: c = f. Ask students to verify that c = f by choosing values for f
and from the table and multiplying them. Because of a lack of detail in the table, calculations will only confirm
that f 108 m/s (the actual value of c is 3.0 × 108 m/s). OL

Reinforcement
Biology Connection Divide the class into small groups. Ask students to explain the effects of X-rays on living
tissue. Ask students how X-rays can be beneficial in the medical field. X-rays can ionize atoms in the body, which
can lead to damage in a variety of ways. One way is by creating free radicals, which are molecules with unpaired
electrons. These molecules can damage the body, for example, by reacting with a DNA molecule to cause a
mutation in which the cell loses control of cell division. This may lead to a cancer. The beneficial uses of X-rays
in medicine include X-ray imaging of bones; X-ray tomography, which gives three-dimensional images of the
body; and X-ray crystallography, in which X-rays are used in medical research to study the shape of proteins and
other molecules. OL COOP LEARN Interpersonal

Critical Thinking
Laser Light Ask students what the similarities are in the use of lasers in DVD players and laser printers. Both
laser printers and DVD players use the electromagnetic waves of a laser to convey information. In a DVD, the
laser converts binary information encoded as pits on the disk surface to electrical signals based as variations in the
intensity of reflected light. In a laser printer, the laser exposes a photosensitive drum, which changes the electrical
charge of a spot on the drum. This, in turn, determines whether a spot on the drum will attract toner ink to produce
a spot on the paper. OL

Producing Electromagnetic Waves

student text pp. 715–717
Careers
Hertz Heinrich Hertz used two metal spheres, separated by a small gap and connected to a high-voltage
transformer, to produce electromagnetic waves and thereby test Maxwell’s theory. When V between the spheres
was large enough, a spark jumped, and ions oscillated between them. A few meters away, Hertz used a spark-gap
receiver consisting of two metal spheres, separated by a tiny gap, on each end of a circular wire to see if the
oscillating ions produced detectable electromagnetic waves.
He proposed that the waves would induce currents in the wire creating a V between the spheres, resulting in a tiny
spark. Sparks occurred even when the transmitter was many meters away. The waves’ speed was 3×10 8 m/s—the
speed predicted by Maxwell. Less than 20 years later, Marconi transmitted electromagnetic waves across the
Atlantic, leading to the fields of radio and television transmission.

Concept Development
Energy, B Fields, and E Fields Throughout the section, you can emphasize the relationship between coils and
capacitors. The first involves energy storage in a magnetic field, and the latter involves energy storage in an
electric field.

Applying Physics
As previously noted, the electromagnetic spectrum is employed by a wide variety of transmitting and receiving
devices. To prevent interference, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) assigns a specific band of
frequencies to each transmitter.

Discussion
Question Ask students to think about how a transformer works. Ask them to identify the electric part and the
magnetic part.
Answer Transformers convert AC power of given voltage levels to different voltage levels at the same frequency.
Inside a transformer, multiple coils (called windings) are wrapped around a magnetic core. The input lines

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 Physics: Principles and Problems © 2017
Chapter 26: Electromagnetism
Section 2: Electric and Magnetic Fields in Space

connect to a primary coil. The secondary coils are connected to output lines, such as the power lines leading from
a substation to a neighborhood. The AC current in the primary coil induces a magnetic flux around the magnetic
core, alternating direction during each electric cycle. The flux in the core then induces an AC current in the
secondary coils. The change in voltage is dependent upon the number of windings of each of the coils. OL

Microwave Ovens Some students may think that the microwaves in a microwave oven excite a natural resonance
in water. The frequency of a microwave oven is well below any natural resonance in an isolated water molecule,
and in water those resonances are so smeared out that they are barely noticeable. It is somewhat like playing a
violin under water—the strings will not emit well-defined tones in water because the water impedes their
vibrations. A microwave oven exposes the water molecules to the intense electromagnetic fields in strong,
nonresonant microwaves.

Content Background
Semiconductor Microwave Sources Semiconductor sources have, for the most part, replaced other low- to
medium-power microwave sources. One such source is the Gunn Oscillator. An n-doped semiconductor can be
made to oscillate when a strong electric field is placed across it and when it is biased so that it has a negative
resistance (increasing voltage yields a reduction in current). Other semiconductor microwave sources include the
microwave transistor and the impact avalanche and transit time (IMPATT) diode. High-power oscillators, such as
those in a microwave oven, use vacuum tubes.

Reality Check
MAINIDEA Have the students list as many examples as possible of electromagnetic waves interacting with
matter. For each example, have them list the source and the receiver of the wave. Examples include human sight,
where the source may be the Sun and the receiver is the rods and cones of the human eye, radio waves where the
source is the transmitting antenna and the receiver is the receiving antenna in your car or radio. Wi-Fi is another
example, where the transmitter-receiver pair is an antenna in a computer and one in the router. Finally, the process
of photosynthesis starts with visible electromagnetic waves transmitted from the Sun to Earth where they are
absorbed by organic molecules in plants to create photochemical reactions.

Reinforcement
Destructive Interference In one of his experiments, Heinrich Hertz beamed radio waves onto a metal sheet and
compared the strength of the signal at different distances from the metal sheet. He found places with weak signals
at distances that were evenly spaced from the plate. Ask students to offer an explanation for these results. The
weak spots were places of destructive interference (nodal points). OL

Activity
Piezoelectric Effect Demonstrate the piezoelectric effect using a piezoelectric wafer that you have connected to a
small neon lamp. Turn off the room lights and squeeze the wafer to light the lamp. Explain that the work done by
squeezing the wafer was transformed into electric energy, causing the light to shine. Some miniature flashlights
operate on the same principle. OL Visual-Spatial

PHYSICS PROJECT ACTIVITY

Seeing the Invisible Most astronomy research is done with wavelengths that are invisible to the human eye. Have
students research images of galaxies, star clusters, and other phenomena that were captured using radio, infrared,
or X-ray receivers. Ask students to bring the images to class to share with other students. They should identify the
image, the type of astronomical body, how the image was obtained, the distance from Earth, and any other
interesting or pertinent information. OL Linguistic

Receiving Electromagnetic Waves

student text pp. 718, 719
Discussion
Question Ask students why an antenna that is tuned to the desired frequency has a larger effective area and

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 Physics: Principles and Problems © 2017
Chapter 26: Electromagnetism
Section 2: Electric and Magnetic Fields in Space

therefore better performance than one that is not tuned to that frequency.
Answer There is always noise at the front end of the receiver from interfering sources as well as from background
radiation present in our universe. The energy that the antenna picks up must be great enough to overcome the
energy associated with all that noise. The desired incoming waves always carry a certain amount of energy and
frequency.
An antenna tuned to the specific desired energy or frequency has a larger effective area than one that is not tuned
to that frequency because it resonates with the desired frequency. The closer the antenna is tuned to the desired
frequency, the greater the coupling of the energy and the resonance. Resonance peaks when the antenna is
precisely tuned. (Note that antenna performance is also a function of the orientation of the antenna in relation to
the direction of the incoming wave.) OL

Using an Analogy
Catching Waves The large parabolic ears of many felines catch faint sound waves and are analogous to large
dish antennas that collect and focus weak radio signals. Many animals, including dogs, owls, and hares, have ears
that rotate like some parabolic dishes to determine just where a sound is coming from.

In Blocking Waves, students can investigate what types of materials shield electromagnetic waves.

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
Struggling Students Connect a solar cell to an amplifier and speaker. As students observe, expose the solar cell
to fluorescent lights. A 60-Hz hum should be audible from the speaker. Switch the lights off and on, or cover and
uncover the solar cell, noting any difference. Try flashing a strobe light at the solar panel at 59 or 61 Hz, having
students listen to the beats. Refer to visual aids showing waves and constructive interference. (Note that the
oscillation is at 120 Hz, not 60 Hz, so try flashing the strobe light somewhere near 120 Hz.) BL
Auditory-Musical EL
Resources
PhysicsLAB-Blocking Waves-Teacher-Editable
MiniLAB-Wave Signals-Student-Editable
MiniLAB-Wave Signals-Teacher-Editable
Alternate Probeware Instructions-Blocking Waves-Student-Editable
PhysicsLAB-Blocking Waves-Student-Editable
Classroom Presentation Toolkit - Electric and Magnetic Fields in Space
Science Notebook - Electric and Magnetic Fields in Space
Science Notebook - Electric and Magnetic Fields in Space - Teacher
WebQuest-Compare Technological Devices-Student-Editable
WebQuest-Compare Technological Devices-Teacher-Editable

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 Physics: Principles and Problems © 2017
Chapter 26: Electromagnetism
Section 2: Electric and Magnetic Fields in Space

Quick DEMO

Radio Waves
Estimated Time 15 minutes
Materials portable AM radio, chicken wire
Procedure
1. Turn on and tune a portable AM radio to a local music station.
2. Make a cover out of chicken wire that will fit over the radio.
3. Place the cover over the radio. The music should turn to static.
4. Move the cover so that the antenna pokes out. The music will resume. Ask students whether different types of
electromagnetic waves have different abilities to penetrate materials. yes Ask whether a radio wave can be
stopped easily. Students should conclude that radio waves are relatively easy to stop. Also point out that different
wavelengths have varying abilities to penetrate materials. Try this demonstration using a cell phone to see
whether these wavelengths get blocked.

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 Physics: Principles and Problems © 2017
Chapter 26: Electromagnetism
Section 2: Electric and Magnetic Fields in Space

Quick DEMO

Induction of Current Between Coils

Estimated Time 5 minutes
Materials large magnet, demo galvanometer, coil of wire
Procedure
1. Connect the coil to the galvanometer.
2. Have students observe the readings on the galvanometer as the coil is moved with respect to the magnet.
3. First move the coil near one end of the magnet, then pass the coil above or below the magnet, and finally move
the coil while surrounding the magnet.
Generating a reading on the galvanometer indicates that current is induced when the coil is passed between the
poles of the magnet. Students should note how the readings change as you move the coil around.

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 Physics: Principles and Problems © 2017
Chapter 26: Electromagnetism
Section 2: Electric and Magnetic Fields in Space

3 Assess
student text pp. 710–719
Assess the MAINIDEA
Imagine holding a fistful of charge and moving it up and down as fast as possible. This accelerated bundle of
charge will produce an electromagnetic wave. In what direction will the electric field oscillate? The electric field
will oscillate in the vertical direction. In which direction will the magnetic field oscillate? in the horizontal
direction To capture these waves with an antenna, in which direction should it be oriented, and why? It should be
oriented vertically so that the electric field of the electromagnetic wave can more efficiently accelerate the
electrons in the antenna.

Check for Understanding

Show students several photographs of parabolic dish antennas, or ask students if they use parabolic antennas for
their television reception. Ask them whether the positioning of the receiving antenna should be different for
different wavelengths. No; all waves reflect in the same manner and are focused to the same point. OL
Visual-Spatial
Reteach
Hold up an AM radio and a cellular phone. Ask students to compare the speed and wavelengths used by these
devices. Both long and short wavelengths travel at the same speed.
Resources
Section Self-Check-English-Electric and Magnetic Fields in Space
Section Quiz-Electric and Magnetic Fields in Space-Student-Editable
Section Quiz-Electric and Magnetic Fields in Space-Teacher-Editable
Applying Practices - Digital Transmission and Storage of Information
Applying Practices - Digital Transmission and Storage of Information - Answer Key
Applying Practices - Human Health and Radiation Frequency
Applying Practices - Human Health and Radiation Frequency - Answer Key

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 Physics: Principles and Problems © 2017
Chapter 26: Electromagnetism
Section 2: Electric and Magnetic Fields in Space

Answers

Calculate If the frequency of a wave increases by a factor of 1.25, by what factor does the
wavelength change?
new = c/(1.25f) = 0.8(c/f) = 0.8

PRACTICE PROBLEMS
1. What is the wavelength of green light that has a frequency of 5.70×1014 Hz?

5.26×107 m

2. An electromagnetic wave has a frequency of 8.2×1014 Hz. What is the wavelength of the wave?

3.7×107 m

3. What is the frequency of an electromagnetic wave that has a wavelength of 2.2×102 m?

1.4×1010 Hz

4. CHALLENGE If an electromagnetic wave is propagating to the right and the electric field is in and out of the
page, in what direction is the magnetic field?

up and down

Caption Check Figure 7 The electromagnetic spectrum contains waves that range from long radio wavelengths
larger than houses to short gamma wavelengths smaller than atoms. The left column shows examples of radiation
sources. Note that wave frequency extends beyond frequencies shown in this image.
Observe Which kind of electromagnetic wave is the size of a proton?
gamma wave

PHYSICS CHALLENGE
WAVELENGTHS OF LIGHT Wavelengths for some of the
colors of light are shown in Table 1.
1. Which color has the longest wavelength?

red

2. Which color travels the fastest in a vacuum?

All electromagnetic waves travel at the same velocity in a

vacuum.

3. Waves with longer wavelengths diffract around objects in their

path more than waves with shorter wavelengths. Which color
will diffract the most? The least?

Red light diffracts the most, violet the least.

4. Calculate the frequency range for each color of light given in Table 1.

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 Physics: Principles and Problems © 2017
Chapter 26: Electromagnetism
Section 2: Electric and Magnetic Fields in Space
4.

violet: 6.59×1014 Hz to 7.69×1014 Hz

blue: 6.10×1014 Hz to 6.59×1014 Hz
green: 5.20×1014 Hz to 6.10×1014 Hz
yellow: 5.03×1014 Hz to 5.20×1014 Hz
orange: 4.82×1014 Hz to 5.03×1014 Hz
red: 4.29×1014 Hz to 4.82×1014 Hz

Compare short and long radio wave propagation.

Long radio waves can reflect off ions in the atmosphere and can thus travel long distances. Shorter radio waves do
not reflect off atmospheric ions; they travel in straight lines and so must be relayed from station to station across
Earth’s curved surface.

PRACTICE PROBLEMS
1. What is the speed of an electromagnetic wave traveling through air? Use c = 299,792,458 m/s in your calculation.

2.99712×108 m/s

2. Water has a dielectric constant of 1.77. What is the speed of light in water?

2.25×108 m/s

3. The speed of light traveling through a material is 2.43×108 m/s. What is the dielectric constant of the material?

1.52

4. CHALLENGE A radio signal is transmitted from Earth’s surface to the Moon’s surface, 376,290 km away. What
is the shortest time a reply can be expected?

2.51034 s

Caption Check Figure 11 The electrons in a coil-andcapacitor circuit are like a pendulum’s bob. As the bob
swings, its displacement changes. The point where the pendulum’s motion comes to a stop is analogous to zero
current in the circuit.
Determine What is the charge on the capacitor when the current is maximum?
zero

Assess Why can’t resonant cavities be used to produce infrared waves?

They can’t be used because infrared waves are produced within molecules. The resonant cavity would have to be
smaller than it possibly can be—molecular size.

Apply Why are AM antennas longer than FM antennas?

Antennas are most efficient when they are half the size of the wavelength they are designed to detect. Because
AM waves are longer than FM waves, AM antennas are longer than FM antennas.

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 Physics: Principles and Problems © 2017
Chapter 26: Electromagnetism
Section 2: Electric and Magnetic Fields in Space

Electric and Magnetic Fields in Space

1. MAINIDEA Explain how electromagnetic waves propagate through space.

The changing electric field induces a changing magnetic field, and the changing magnetic field induces a
changing electric field. The waves propagate as these two fields regenerate each other.

2. Electromagnetic Waves What are some primary characteristics of electromagnetic waves? How do
electromagnetic waves differ from sound waves and other waves? Explain.

Electromagnetic waves can be described by frequency and wavelength. They behave similarly to other waves in
that they reflect, refract, diffract, and can be Doppler-shifted. Differences between the electromagnetic waves and
other waves are that electromagnetic waves can travel through a vacuum and can be polarized.

3. Frequency An electromagnetic wave has a wavelength of 1.5×105 m. What is its frequency?

2.0×1013 Hz

4. Radio Signals Radio antennas normally have metal rod elements that are oriented horizontally. From this
information, what can you deduce about the directions of the electric fields in radio signals?

They must also be horizontal.

5. Parabolic Receivers Why is it important for a parabolic dish receiving antenna to be aimed directly toward the
transmitter?

Parabolic dish antennas are able to receive signals only within a very narrow range of angles.

6. Antenna Design Would an FM antenna designed to be most sensitive to stations near 88 MHz be shorter or
longer than one designed to receive stations near 108 MHz? Explain your reasoning.

Longer; lower-frequency waves would have longer wavelengths, so they use a longer antenna.

7. Dielectric Constant The speed of light traveling through an unknown material is 1.98×108 m/s. Given that the
speed of light in a vacuum is 3.00×108 m/s, what is the dielectric constant of the unknown material?

2.30

8. Critical Thinking Most of the UV radiation from the Sun is blocked by the ozone layer in Earth’s atmosphere.
Scientists have found that the ozone layer over Antarctica and the southern hemisphere has thinned. Use what you
have learned about electromagnetic waves to explain why some scientists are very concerned about the thinning
ozone layer.

If the entire ozone layer is thinning, the amount of UV radiation from the Sun that is blocked by the ozone layer
decreases, allowing more UV rays to reach Earth’s surface. The wavelengths of UV waves are short enough and
their energies are high enough to damage skin molecules. Thus, the resulting increase in UV rays might increase
the prevalence of skin cancer in humans.

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Chapter 26: Electromagnetism
Section 2: Electric and Magnetic Fields in Space

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