ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES

1.Electromagnetic Waves - Characteristics

2.Properties of Electromagnetic Waves

3.Electromagnetic Spectrum

-Wavelength and Frequency Range

-Production, Detection and Uses
 ELECTROMAGNETIC
Neither stationary chargesWAVES
nor charges in uniform motion (steady currents) can be sources of
electromagnetic waves. The former produces only electrostatic fields, while the latter produces magnetic
fields that do not vary with time.

Accelerated charges radiate electromagnetic waves.

Qualitative Reasoning for this:
 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.

 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 electromagnetic wave

The magnitude of the electric and the magnetic fields in an electromagnetic wave are related as

B0 = (E0 /c)
 PROPERTIES OF E.M WAVES
Electromagnetic wave is a wave in which electric and magnetic fields are perpendicular to each other and also
perpendicular to the direction of propagation of wave.

1. Variations in both electric and magnetic fields occur simultaneously. Therefore, they attain their
maxima and minima at the same place and at the same time.
2. The direction of electric and magnetic fields are mutually perpendicular to each other and as well as
to the direction of propagation of wave.
3. The electric field vector E and magnetic field vector B are related by c = E0 / B0 where E0 and B0 are
the amplitudes of the respective fields and c is speed of light.

Note: The electric field Ex is along the x-axis, and varies sinusoidally with z, at a given time.
The magnetic field B y is along the y-axis, and again varies sinusoidally with z. The electric and
magnetic fields Ex and B y are perpendicular to each other, and to the direction z of propagation.

Ex = E0 sin (kz–ωt)

By = B0 sin (kz–ωt)
Here k = 2π/ λ is magnitude of the wave vector (or propagation vector) k ; its direction describes
the direction of propagation of the wave.
ω is the angular frequency = 2πν = (2π/λ) c
4. The velocity of electromagnetic waves in free space, c = 1 / √µ0ε0

5. The velocity of electromagnetic waves in a material medium = 1 / √µε where µ and ε are
absolute permeability and absolute permitivity of the material medium.

6. Electromagnetic waves obey the principle of superposition.

7. Electromagnetic waves carry energy as they propagate through space. This energy is
divided equally between electric and magnetic fields.

8. Electromagnetic waves can transfer energy as well as momentum to objects placed on their
paths.
9. Electric field vector is responsible for optical phenomena like reflection, refraction, diffraction,
interference, etc. (For discussion of optical effects of EM wave, more significance is given to
Electric Field, E. Therefore, electric field is called ‘light vector’).
10. Electromagnetic waves do not require material medium to travel.
11. An oscillating charge which has non-zero acceleration can produce electromagnetic waves.
NOTE: Hertz showed the existence of electromagnetic waves. He also demonstrated that the waves, which had
wavelength ten million times that of the light waves, could be diffracted, refracted and polarised. He conclusively
established the wave nature of the radiation.
 HERTZ
EXPERIMENT:
The copper or zinc
plates are kept Copper or
parallel separated by Zinc
60 cm. The metal Plate
Metal Rod
spheres are slided
over the metal rods to P S S1
have a gap of 2 to 3 S1’
cm. Induction coil
supplies high voltage P S S2 EM
Wave S2’
of several thousand
volts. Induction Coil Metal Rod Ring
Metal
The plates and the Copper or
Spheres
rods (with spheres) Zinc
constitute an LC Plate
combination.

An open metallic ring of diameter 0.70 m having small metallic spheres acts as
a detector.
This constitutes another LC combination whose frequency can be varied by
varying its diameter.
• Due to high voltage, the air in the small gap between the spheres gets ionised. This provides
the path for the discharge of the plates. A spark begins to pass between the spheres.
• A very high frequency oscillations of charges occur on the plates. This results in high
frequency oscillating electric field in the vertical gap S1S2.
 Consequently, an oscillating magnetic field of the same frequency is set up in the horizontal
plane and perpendicular to the gap between the spheres.
• These oscillating electric and magnetic fields constitute electromagnetic waves. The
electromagnetic waves produced are radiated from the spark gap.
• The detector is held in a position such that the magnetic field produced by the oscillating
current is perpendicular to the plane of the coil. The resultant electric field induced by the
oscillating magnetic field causes the ionisation of air in the gap between the spheres. So, a
conducting path becomes available for the induced current to flow across the gap. This causes
sparks to appear at the narrow gap.
 It was observed that this spark was most intense when the spheres S1S2 and S1’S2’ were parallel
to each other. This was a clear evidence of the polarisation of the electromagnetic waves.
 Hertz was able to produce electromagnetic waves of wavelength nearly 6 m.
 After seven years, J.C. Bose succeeded in producing the em waves of wavelength ranging
from 25 mm to 5 mm.
 POLARISATION OF E.M WAVES - PROOF
 This fact can be easily seen in the response of a portable AM radio to a broadcasting station.
 If an AM radio has a telescopic antenna, it responds to the electric part of the signal. When the antenna is
turned horizontal, the signal will be greatly diminished.
 Some portable radios have horizontal antenna (usually inside the case of radio), which are sensitive to the
magnetic component of the electromagnetic wave. Such a radio must remain horizontal in order to
receive the signal. In such cases, response also depends on the orientation of the radio with respect to
the station.
ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES CARRY ENERGY AND MOMENTUM LIKE OTHER WAVES - PROOF
 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.
 Since an e.m wave carries momentum, an electromagnetic wave also exerts pressure, called radiation pressure.
If the total energy transferred to a surface in time t is U, the magnitude of the total momentum delivered to this
surface (for complete absorption) is,
p = U/c
NOTE:
Electromagnetic waves also transfer momentum to our hand when sun shines on it. But because ‘c’ is very large, the
amount of momentum transferred is extremely small and we do not feel the pressure.
 ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM:
S.No EM Wave Range of λ Range of ν Source Use
.
1 Radio Wave A few km to A few Hz to Oscillating Radio and TV
0.3 m 109 Hz electronic broadcasting
circuits

2 Microwave 0.3 m to 109 Hz to Oscillating Radar, analysis of fine details

10-3 m 3 x 1011 Hz electronic of atomic and molecular
circuits structures & Microwave oven

3 Infra Red wave 10-3 m to 3 x 1011 Hz Molecules Industry, medicine,

7.8 x 10-7 m to and hot astronomy, night vision
4 x 1014 Hz bodies device, green house,
revealing secret writings on
ancient walls, etc.

4 Light or Visible 7.8 x 10-7 m 4 x 1014 Hz Atoms and Optics and Optical
Spectrum to to molecules Instruments, Vision,
3.8 x 10-7 m 8 x 1014 Hz when photography, etc.
electrons
are excited.
S.NO EM WAVE RANGE OF λ RANGE OF ν SOURCE USE
.
5 Ultra 3.8 x 10-7 m to 8 x 1014 Atoms and Medical application,
Violet 6 x 10-10 m Hz to molecules sterilization, killing
Rays 3 x 1017 in electrical bacteria and germs in
Hz discharges food stuff, detection of
and Sun invisible writing, forged
documents, finger print,
etc.
6 X - Rays 10-9 m to 3 x 1017 Inner or X-ray photography,
6 x 10-12 m Hz to more tightly treatment of cancer, skin
5 x 1019 bound disease & tumor, locating
Hz electrons in cracks and flaws in
atoms finished metallic objects,
detection of smuggled
goods in bags of a
person, study of crystal
structure, etc.
7 γ-Rays They overlap 3 x 1018 Radioactive Information about
the upper limit Hz to substances structure of nuclei,
of the X-Ray. 3 x 1022 astronomical research,
10-10 m to Hz etc.
10-14 m
 END OF CHAPTER 8

End Of Volume 1 of NCERT Physics