0
$\begingroup$

So my question is: why alternating current produces electromagnetic waves?

There are plenty of answers on google that state it as fact, but none answer why. I mean what is it about accelerating electrons that generate EM wave? Are the theories for it? Is there lazy explanation?

|cite|improve this question
$\endgroup$
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ There are mathematical theories called quantum mechanical theories for electrons etc, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_electrodynamics of how electrons emit the photons that build up light. $\endgroup$ – anna v Mar 11 at 15:51
  • $\begingroup$ @annav Thank you so much! I will definitely read it. I wonder if I can avoid thinking about light since it behave both as particle and wave. Is is possible to think about EM purely in terms of waves and not particles? $\endgroup$ – user1700890 Mar 11 at 15:56
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Possible duplicate of How and why do accelerating charges radiate electromagnetic radiation? $\endgroup$ – sammy gerbil Mar 11 at 16:13
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ There is classical electromagnetic theory, maxwells equations, that models the wave nture of light. Light emerges from the underlying quantum mechanical framework of photons, elementary particles with a quantum mechanical wave function which gives probabilities of locating the photons. Look here to see how the classical wave interference emerges from summing single photons. sps.ch/en/articles/progresses/… $\endgroup$ – anna v Mar 11 at 16:53
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ the explanation in the main answer of the proposed duplicate is in the classical electrodynamics frame work : "charges" not electrons, which are in the quantum regime. $\endgroup$ – anna v Mar 11 at 17:31