M.E.

S INDIAN SCHOOL, DOHA -QATAR

Notes 2024- 2025
Section :Boys & Girls Date :24.09.2023
18.09.2024

Class &Div: XII(All Divisions) Subject: Physics

Lesson / Topic: Electromagnetic Waves
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ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
The waves propagating in space through electric and magnetic fields verifying in space and time
simultaneously are called electromagnetic waves.
ORIGIN OF E.M WAVES
Electromagnetic waves are produced by accelerated charges.
SOURCE OF ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
 Neither stationary charge nor charges in uniform motion can be sources of electromagnetic
waves.
 An oscillating charge is an example of accelerating charge.
 An oscillating charge is an example of accelerating charge.
 A charge oscillating with some frequency produces an oscillating electric field in free space
which in turn produces an oscillating magnetic field.
 The oscillating electric and magnetic fields regenerate each other causing propagation of waves
through space.
 The frequency of this wave is equal to the frequency of oscillation of the charge.
 The energy associated with the propagation of waves comes at the expense of the energy of the
source.
NATURE OF ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES

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  Electric field and magnetic field in an electromagnetic wave are perpendicular to each other
and to the direction of propagation.
 The figure shows a typical example of a plane electromagnetic wave propagating along z axis.
 The electric field is along x axis and the magnetic field is along y axis given by
Ex = Eo sin (kz -ωt)
By = Bo sin (kz – ωt)
2π 2π
where k = and ω = z direction of propagation
λ 𝑇

CHARACTERISTICS OF EM WAVES
1. The magnitude of the peak values of electric and magnetic fields in EM wave is related as

where E0 is the amplitude of electric field and B0 is the amplitude of magnetic field.

2. The direction of propagation of EM wave is perpendicular to both electric field and magnetic
fields.
3. EM wave is produced by accelerated charges.
4. It does not require any material medium for propagation.
5. In free space EM waves travel with speed

= 3 x 108 m/s
where µ0 is the magnetic permeability of free space and ℰ0 is the electric permittivity of free
space.

6. It obeys the principle of superposition.

7. The energy of EM waves is divided equally between electric and magnetic field vectors.

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 8. EM waves are transverse in nature.
9. Any optical phenomenon is governed by electric vectors. Hence, electric vector is also known
as light vector.
10. They transfer as well as momentum to the objects kept in their path.
11. EM waves of different wavelengths travel at the same speed in vacuum, but travel with
different speeds in each medium.
12. Speed of EM waves in a medium is given by

where µ and ℰ are the permeability and permittivity of the medium respectively.

ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM
 The electromagnetic waves have continuous wavelengths from short gamma rays to long radio
waves.
 The orderly distribution of EM waves is called electromagnetic spectrum.
 EM spectrum in ascending order of frequency (descending order of wavelength) is given as
R – radio waves
M- micro waves
I - infrared waves Increasing order of frequency.
V – visible light
U – ultraviolet rays
X – x rays
G – gamma rays

RADIO WAVES
 Radio waves are produced by accelerated motion of charges in conducting wires.
 Used in radio and television communications systems.
 The frequency range is from 500 kHz to about 1000 MHz.
 The AM (amplitude modulated) band is from 530 kHz to 1710 kHz
 Higher frequencies up to 54 MHz are used for short wave bands.
 TV waves range from 54 MHz to 890 MHz
 The FM (frequency modulated) radio band extends from 88 MHz to 108 MHz
 Cellular phones use radio waves to transmit voice communication in the ultrahigh frequency.
(UHF) band.

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MICROWAVES ( Short wavelength and Radio waves)
 Microwaves with frequencies in the gigahertz (GHz) range , are produced by special vacuum
tubes called klystrons , magnetrons and gunn diodes.
 Due to their short wavelength, they are suitable for the radar system used in aircraft navigation.
 Radar provides the basis for the speed guns to time fast balls; tennis serves and automobiles.
 Domestic application – microwave ovens the frequency of the microwave is selected to
match the resonant frequency of water molecules so that energy from the waves is transferred
efficiently to the kinetic energy of the molecules.

INFRARED WAVES
 Infrared waves are produced by hot bodies and molecules.
 Infrared waves are sometimes referred to as heat waves.
 Infrared lamps are used in physical therapy.
 These rays play a major role in maintaining earth’s warmth or average temperature through the
greenhouse effect.
 Infrared detectors are used in Earth satellites, both for military purposes and to observe the
growth of crops.
 Semiconductor light emitting diodes (LEDs) are used in remote switches of household
electronic systems.

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 VISIBLE RAYS
 Visible rays are the most familiar form of EM waves.
 It is the part of the spectrum that is detected by the human eye.
 It’s wavelength range is from 700 nm to 400 nm.
 Our eyes are sensitive to this range of wavelengths.
 Different animals are sensitive to different range of wavelengths. For example, snakes can
detect infrared waves, and the visible range of many insects extends well into the ultraviolet.

ULTRAVIOLET RAYS
 It’s wavelengths ranging from about 400 nm to 0.6 nm.
 UV radiation is produced by special lamps and very hot bodies.
 The sun is an important source of UV rays.
 UV rays are absorbed by ozone layer and thereby stopping them to reach the earth.
 Exposure to UV rays induces the production of melanin, causing tanning of the skin.
 UV radiation is absorbed by ordinary glass.
 Welders wear special glass goggles with glass windows to protect their eyes from large amount
of UV rays produced by welding arcs.
 UV lamps are used to kill germs in water purifiers.
 UV rays can be focused into very narrow beams for high precision application such as
LASIK(Laser Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis) eye surgery.

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 X-RAYS
 Lies beyond the UV region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
 Convers wavelengths from 10-8 m (10 nm) down to 10-13 m(10-4 nm)
 One common way to generate-rays is to bombard a metal target by high energy electrons.
 X Rays are used as diagnostic tool in medicine and as a treatment for certain forms of cancer.

GAMMA-RAYS
 Gamma rays has the largest penetrating power
 They lie in the upper frequency range of the electromagnetic spectrum and have wavelengths
of from about 10-10m to less than 10-14 m
 This high frequency radiation is produced in nuclear reactions and also emitted by radioactive
nuclei.
 They are used in medicine to destroy cancer cells.

Displacement current and Maxwell’s correction to Ampere's circuital law

To understand how the changing electric field induces magnetic field, let us consider a situation
of charging a parallel plate capacitor which contains non−conducting medium between the
plates.
Let a time dependent current Ic, called conduction current, be passed through the wire to charge
the capacitor.

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 Therefore, using Ampere's circuital law

Applying Ampere's circuital law to the loop enclosing surface S2 ,

The change in electric flux is

where Id is known as displacement current. The displacement current can be defined as the
current which comes into play in the region in which the electric field and the electric flux
are changing with time. In other words, whenever the change in electric field takes place,
displacement current is produced. Maxwell modified Ampere's law as

where I = Ic + Id which means the total current enclosed by the surface is sum of conduction
current and displacement current. When a constant current is applied, displacement current I d =
0 and hence Ic = I. Between the plates, the conduction current Ic = 0 and hence Id = I.

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REPRESENTATION OF DIFFERENT E.M RADIATIONS WITH THEIR
CHARACTERISTICS

**********************************THE END************************************

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