Timeline for What do we mean by wavelength of any electromagnetic wave?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
6 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 4, 2016 at 18:09 | comment | added | dominecf | @braist Wavelength is a well defined term for a planar infinite harmonic wave in free space. For such an ideal wave, the Maxwell equations stipulate that the electric and magnetic fields are proportional to each other in any point of space, except for their vectors being oriented differently. Then it is exactly as you write, temporal changes of magnetic field generate spatial changes of the electric one and vice versa. This makes the wave propagate forwards and everything is easy. Defining the wavelength near some dielectric structure or dipole is complicated. | |
| Feb 4, 2016 at 7:41 | comment | added | zeffur | @brainst - the fields are coupled together--which constitutes the wave. | |
| Feb 3, 2016 at 10:35 | vote | accept | brainst | ||
| Feb 3, 2016 at 9:28 | comment | added | Farcher | The E-field wave and the B-field wave are locked/coupled together in frequency, phase, wavelength, velocity and orientation. That is what an electromagnetic wave is. At birth both waves are produced as conjoined twins never to be separated. | |
| Feb 3, 2016 at 8:19 | comment | added | brainst | Yeah... But which wave? That's my question... Electric field doesn't interfere with magnetic field and give a single wave whose wavelength can be measured as their nature is different?.... Or is it that either the varying electric field generated magnetic field.. Or varying magnetic field generates the electric field (as in electromagnetic induction) ? | |
| Feb 3, 2016 at 8:14 | history | answered | zeffur | CC BY-SA 3.0 |