GENERAL

PHYSICS 2 -
LIGHTS AND
WAVES
Prepared by: Joezer D. Batongbakal
Objectives:
◦1. Describe the nature and properties of
electromagnetic waves (EM waves).
2. Solve for the speed of electromagnetic waves.
3. Calculate the energy of an electromagnetic wave.
JAMES CLERK MAXWELL
In 1865, James Clerk Maxwell,
as theoretical physicist,
formulated the complete
electromagnetic theory and said
that waves could be propagated
in space from one region to
another because of varying
magnetic and electric fields.
Maxwell’s equations are paraphrased in words
because their mathematical statement is beyond the
level of text.

We will discover here how Maxwell brought together

all the work that have been done by brilliant
physicists such as Oersted, Coulomb, Gauss, and
Faraday, and then Maxwell’s own insights to develop
the Theory of Electromagnetism.
Maxwell’s Equations
1. Electric field lines originate in positive charges and
terminate in negative charges. The electric field is defined as
the force per unit charge on a test charge, and the strength of
the force is related to the electric constant , also known as the
permittivity of free space. From Maxwell’s first equation, we
obtain a special form of Coulomb’s law known as Gauss’s
law for electricity.
Maxwell’s Equations
1.
Maxwell’s Equations
2. Magnetic field lines are continuous, having no beginning or end.
No magnetic monopoles are known to exist. The strength of the
magnetic force is related to the magnetic constant , also known as
the permeability of free space. This second of Maxwell’s equations
is known as Gauss’s law for magnetism.
3. A changing magnetic field induces an electromotive
force (emf) and, hence, an electric field. The direction
of the emf opposes the change. This third of Maxwell’s
equations is Faraday’s law of induction and includes
Lenz’s law.
4. Magnetic fields are generated by moving charges or
by changing electric fields. This fourth of Maxwell’s
equations encompasses Ampere’s law and adds another
source of magnetism—changing electric fields.
◦ Maxwell's Electromagnetic theory:
1. He stated that light is a propagating wave of electric and magnetic
field.
2. The theory describes the interaction between the electric field and
magnetic field.
3. Direction of both the fields is perpendicular to each other.
4. Maxwell also concluded that the wave travels at the speed of
light.
◦ Nature and Properties of Electromagnetic Waves
- Electromagnetic (EM) waves consist of both electric and
magnetic field and defined as the oscillating electric and
magnetic fields. These waves oscillate in perpendicular
planes with respect to each other and are in phase. The
creation of all electromagnetic waves begins with an
oscillating charged particle, which creates oscillating
electric and magnetic fields.
◦ EM wave is capable of exerting forces on charges with great
distances from their source, and they can be detected. EM
waves are classified according to their frequencies or
wavelengths. The range of entire electromagnetic radiation
in the order of frequencies or wavelengths is
electromagnetic spectrum. Electromagnetic radiation
interacts with matter in different ways at different parts of
the spectrum. We refer to it as a spectrum, but divide it
based on the different interactions with matter.
◦1. Radio – (plasma oscillation) This is an example of
oscillation of the electrons in an antenna. These waves
are longest of the electromagnetic waves and are used
in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), radio and
television broadcast, and radio frequency
identification (RFID) in some schools or university
gates.
◦2. Microwave – (far infrared) These are extremely
high frequency waves that are used to cook food.
They are also used in cellphones and satellite
broadcasts.

◦3. Near Infrared – TV remote control uses infrared

waves to change channel.
◦ 4. Visible light – These are pigment molecules found in the
human retina and are the radiation in wavelengths that are
visible to human eyes. Colors of visible light are red,
orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet (ROYGBIV).

◦ 5. Ultraviolet – (photoelectric effect) This is the commonly

avoided radiation for skin care. This may cause sunburns,
wrinkling, tanning, skin discolorations, and skin cancer.
◦ 6. X-ray – This is commonly used in medical facilities to
capture images of internal body parts like bones, lungs,
heart, and others. Luggage scanners in airports also use x-
rays.

◦ 7. Gamma rays – These are used to kill cancer cells and

sterilize medical equipment, pasteurization of food, and
industrial radiography, among others.
◦8. High-energy gamma rays - a single photon can
create a shower of high-energy particles and
antiparticles upon interaction with matter. This
usually occurs in cosmic rays with pulsars, supernova
remnants, blackholes and others in the galaxy.
Electromagnetic waves
consist of oscillating electric and magnetic fields and propagate at
the speed of light, c. They were predicted by Maxwell, who also
showed that

is equal to 8.85 x 10-12 C2/N∙m2 (permittivity of free space) is equal to

4𝜋 x 10-7 Wb/A∙m (permeability of free space)
1. A light passes from air to water. What is the
speed of light in water if its index of refraction
(n) is 1.33?
2. How long will it take the news broadcast
in a station if its transmitter is 300km away
from the person listening through a radio?
Energy of Electromagnetic Wave

Anyone who has used a microwave oven knows

there is energy in electromagnetic waves.
Sometimes this energy is obvious, such as in the
warmth of the summer sun. Electromagnetic waves
can bring energy
into a system by virtue of their electric and
magnetic fields.
These fields can exert forces and move charges in
the system and, thus, do work on them. If the
frequency of the electromagnetic wave is the same
as the natural frequencies of the system (such as
microwaves at the resonant frequency of water
molecules), the transfer of energy is much more
efficient.
Electromagnetic waves carry energy when they propagate
within space.
The energy of electromagnetic waves is measured in its
strength. as an expression in terms of both the electric
and magnetic field strengths with the SI unit of W/m^2
for the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation and
shown in the equation as:
While intensity of the electromagnetic radiation on
electric and magnetic field strengths when separately tried
to find are shown in the equations as
Sample Problem:
1. What is the intensity of an electromagnetic wave with a
peak electric field strength of 125 V/m?
Sample Problem:
2. Lasers can be constructed that produce an extremely high
intensity electromagnetic wave for a brief time—called
pulsed lasers. They are used to ignite nuclear fusion, for
example. Such a laser may produce an electromagnetic wave
with a maximum electric field strength of 1.00 × 1011 V/m
for a time of 1.00 ns.
(a) What is the intensity of the beam?
(b) What is the maximum magnetic field strength in the
wave?
Sample Problem:
2. Lasers can be constructed that produce an extremely high intensity
electromagnetic wave for a brief time—called pulsed lasers. They
are used to ignite nuclear fusion, for example. Such a laser may
produce an electromagnetic wave with a maximum electric field
strength of 1.00 × 1011 V/m for a time of 1.00 ns.
(a) What is the intensity of the beam?
(b) What is the maximum magnetic field strength in the wave?
Perf. Task

Find the peak electric field strength, and the maximum

magnetic field strength of the electromagnetic wave with
intensity of 150 W/m2.
Perf. Task

Find the speed of light in crown glass with an index of

refraction of 1.52.
Perf. Task

How long will it take the signal in a cell site if its

transmitter is 500km away from the house of a student
attending online classes?
Reflection, Refraction, Dispersion,
and Polarization
 Reflection, Refraction,
Dispersion, and Polarization

Objectives:
1. Describe the relationship between the angle of
reflection and angle of incidence.
2. State the laws of reflection and refraction.
3. Solve problems on reflection, refraction, dispersion,
and polarization of light.
 REFLECTION

LECREFTION
 REFRACTION

RACREFTION
 UNLOCKING OF DIFFICULTIES
Incident ray – Ray form the source of Light

Reflected ray – Ray of light as a result of reflection

Refracted ray – Ray of light as a result of refraction

Index of refraction – for a material, the ratio of the

speed of light in vacuum to that in
the material.
Reflection is the property of a propagated wave
being thrown back from a surface just like in
mirrors. In simple terms, it is the bouncing of light.

The law of reflection states

that the angle of incidence is
equal to the angle of
reflection
=
Refraction is the changing of a light ray’s
direction when it passes through variations in
matter.

An example of this is when

we may see the same fish at
two different spots when
looking through a tank
Law of Refraction states that
(1) the incident ray, refracted ray, and the
normal, all lie in the same plane;
Snell’s law
(2) states that the relationship between the index of
refraction and the angle with the normal which is
shown in the equation:

=
Sample Problem
1. Light travels from air to water, the angle of
refraction is 25° to the normal. Find the angle of
incidence.
Sample Problem
2. A ray of light in water has an angle of incidence
of 30° on a block of an unknown material and an
angle of refraction of 20° . What is the index of
refraction of the material?
Assignment:
Study:
- Total Internal Reflection
- 2 conditions for total Internal Reflection to occur
- Critical Angle
Dispersion
Dispersion is defined as the spreading of white lights into its full
spectrum of wavelengths. When there is a process that changes
the direction of light that depends on wavelength, dispersion
occurs. We take the example of rainbow; light enters a drop of
water and is reflected from the back of the raindrop. The light is
refracted both as it enters and as it leaves the drop. Rainbows are
produced by combination of reflection and refraction.
Dispersion
The colors of the rainbow – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and
violet or indigo, are associated with different wavelengths of
light. White light is uniform mixture of all visible wavelengths

Light reflecting on water droplet: the

light enters on the raindrop and reflected
from the back of the drop.
Polarization
We commonly encounter polarized products in department
stores for our eye protection. We can have them
customized in optical shops for our prescription glasses,
and sometimes with the polaroid sunglasses we are
wearing. But what is it really? The light from the sun is an
unpolarized light because it is composed of many waves
with all possible directions of polarization.
Polarization
Polarization is the attribute that wave oscillations have a definite
direction relative to the direction of propagation of the wave.
Polaroid materials, invented by Edwin Land, act as polarizing slit
for light, allowing only polarization in one direction to pass
through. We can understand that the only light with specific
polarization can get through from the example of oscillating
ropes.
Polarization
Light can be polarized by passing through a polarizing filter or
other polarizing material. The intensity I of polarized light after
passing through a polarizing filter is
Polarization
Polarization is also produced by reflection. Brewster’s law states
that reflected light will be completely polarized at the angle of
reflection 𝜃b, known as Brewster’s angle, given by the statements:
Polarization
Polarization is also produced by reflection. Brewster’s law states
that reflected light will be completely polarized at the angle of
reflection 𝜃b, known as Brewster’s angle, given by the statements:
Sample Problem
1. What will be its intensity when a polarized light of intensity
150 W/m2 passes through polarizing filter with axis at 89o angle
to the light’s polarization direction?
Activity
Assessment
 Performance Task # 2: Lights and Waves
Write the questions neatly on a sheet of bond paper.
Draw a simple diagram/illustration for analysis if possible, then
present your solution on a logical manner.

Criteria:
25 points for the correctness of the answer (5points each)
10 Points for the neatness and presentation

Deadline of submission: April 29, 2024, 4pm at room 36.

* strictly no submission beyond that date!!!
Performance Task # 2
1. Find the peak electric field strength, and the maximum
magnetic field strength of the electromagnetic wave with
intensity of 150.
2. Find the speed of light in crown glass with an index of
refraction of 1.52.
3. How long will it take the signal in a cell site if its
transmitter is 500km away from the house of a student
attending online classes?
Performance Task
4. What will be its intensity when a polarized light of
intensity 150 passes through polarizing filter with axis at
89ᴼ angle to the light’s polarization direction?

5. What is the refractive index of the plastic when the

light traveling in water falls on a plastic block with
Brewster’s angle of 50ᴼ ?