All Questions
Tagged with electromagnetic-radiation waves
814
questions
1
vote
1
answer
51
views
Would we be able to see the superposition of two X-rays where the frequency of the modulation matches visible light?
Suppose I had the superposition of two electromagnetic waves whose angular frequency was in the X-ray region. Together they form a composite made of a carrier wave and a modulation wave where the ...
- 531
0
votes
2
answers
102
views
Why In an electromagnetic wave both electric and magnetic waves are in sync and perpendeculare? if one makes the other shouldnt there be a delay? [closed]
Why are electric and magnetic waves in phase if one induces the other? Shouldn't there be a delay, similar to how potential energy converts to kinetic energy and vice versa? Additionally, why are ...
- 21
0
votes
1
answer
73
views
Electromagnetic reflection without velocity change
The Fresnel equations describe the reflection and transmission of electromagnetic waves between two media. The parameter in the equations is the impedance ratio, where the impedance is $Z=\mu/\epsilon$...
- 2,141
7
votes
5
answers
14k
views
Light waves can't have a wavelength
The wave nature of light comes from Maxwell's equations. More precisely, the two wave equations that come from them:
$$\Delta\vec{E}=\mu\varepsilon \frac{\partial^2\vec{E}}{\partial t^2}\\
\Delta\vec{...
- 267
1
vote
1
answer
41
views
Confusion about EM waves in a conductor, AC in wires, and skin effect
I am trying to get my head around these different points:
From Maxwell's equations we find that an electromagnetic wave in a conductor decays in amplitude with a characteristic length of about 1 cm in ...
- 197
1
vote
2
answers
79
views
Radio waves: physical mechanism of ground (surface) wave propagation
Radio waves with frequencies below ~3 MHz can propagate as ground waves, following the curvature of the Earth to reach distances well beyond the visual horizon. However, I am confused about the ...
- 136
0
votes
1
answer
37
views
Ray separation in waveplates
In a birefringent medium, the ordinary and extraordinary rays have different Pointing-vector directions and, therefore, different propagation directions, since the direction of the Poyting-vector ...
- 47
1
vote
1
answer
31
views
Effect of incident angle on wavelength of transmitted wave for normal polarisation?
In my electrodynamcis assignment I'm being asked to derive the wavelength of a normally polarised wave transmitted through a glass/air interface as a function of $n_1$ (the refractive index of the ...
- 11
2
votes
1
answer
36
views
In magnetrons, is it the accelerating electrons or alternating fields within the anode that produce the microwaves?
Doing a report for a school project and want to get to the bottom of the radiation source within a microwave oven:
According to Maxwell's equations don't the accelerating electrons (accelerating ...
- 21
0
votes
0
answers
23
views
"The Fields of a Point Charge in Uniform Motion 1" in Zangwill
In Chapter 20 of Zangwill's Modern Electrodynamics, Application 20.1 the electromagnetic fields for a point charge in uniform motion (velocity $\textbf{v} = v \hat{z}$) along the z-axis is derived. ...
- 954
2
votes
0
answers
44
views
Understanding Green's Function Derivation for Inhomogeneous Wave Equation
I am currently reading through Zangwill's Modern Electrodynamics. In Chapter 20, Zangwill derives the Green's function for the wave equation
$$[\nabla^2 - \frac{1}{c^2}\frac{\partial^2}{\partial t^2}]\...
- 954
1
vote
1
answer
96
views
What exactly qualifies something to be a transverse wave? [closed]
what exactly are transverse waves? other than the commonly repeated answer that propagation is perpendicular to direction of travel / oscillations
my answer to this was D, which was the most ...
- 117
0
votes
2
answers
53
views
Are all recursive interactions between electric and magnetic fields always orthogonal to each other?
ecursively, this implies that changes in the electric field generate the magnetic field, and vice versa, akin to the plane wave solution resulting from specific boundary conditions intentionally ...
- 21
0
votes
1
answer
56
views
Can the magnitude of the electric field or magnetic field in a plane electromagnetic wave be equal to zero?
I have tried reading related questions on here, but I have not found what I perceive to be my question nor the answer I seek. Every place I look (textbooks, here, Quora, etc...) indicates that $E_0/...
- 9
1
vote
2
answers
63
views
Is there a limit to the number of observers to a wireless broadcast due to quantum mechanics?
My question seems obvious but nobody is talking about it. The way I understand it, an electromagnetic wave collapses to a particle when observed. This goes for electrons and photons but I imagine the ...
