Electric & Magnetic Properties of Light
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This diagram shows that an electromagnetic wave (lightwave) results from the interaction of an electric and magnetic field.
- Electromagnetic waves are produced by the Sun as a result of thermonuclear fusion.
- The explosive force of thermonuclear fusion is caused by gravity crushing hydrogen atoms until they collapse.
- The nuclear reaction forces hydrogen atoms to combine into helium atoms and release vast amounts of electrical and magnetic energy.
- The electrical and magnetic forces form fields which interact with each other to produce a wave pattern that radiates out into space at the speed of light.
- The electromagnetic waves are of every imaginable size. The smallest (gamma rays) transport the most energy. The largest (radio waves) transport the least.
- Candles and light bulbs also involve heating materials until they give off light.
Description
Electric & Magnetic Properties of Light
TRY SOME QUICK QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO GET STARTED
The angle between the electric and magnetic field is 90 degrees.
Yes! A light wave is another name for an electromagnetic wave!
An electromagnetic wave is the result of the interaction of electric and magnetic fields.
About the diagram
About the diagram
- This diagram shows that an electromagnetic wave (lightwave) results from the interaction of an electric field and a magnetic field.
- Electromagnetic waves are produced by the Sun as a result of thermonuclear fusion.
- The explosive force of thermonuclear fusion is caused by gravity crushing hydrogen atoms until they collapse.
- The nuclear reaction forces hydrogen atoms to combine into helium atoms and release vast amounts of electrical and magnetic energy.
- The electrical and magnetic forces form fields that interact with each other to produce a wave pattern that radiates out into space at the speed of light.
- The electromagnetic waves are of every imaginable size. The smallest (gamma rays) transport the most energy. The largest (radio waves) transport the least.
- Candles and light bulbs also involve heating materials until they give off light.
In the diagram:
- The magnetic wave is coloured red and yellow and forms the vertical axis.
- The electrical wave is coloured blue and violet and forms the horizontal axis.
- The direction of propagation is from left to right.
About Electromagnetism & interactions: Terms
| Absorption | Absorption is the process where electromagnetic waves are absorbed by a material, converting their energy into internal energy. |
| Amp | An ampere, or amp, is the unit of electric current, representing one coulomb of charge passing through a point in one second. |
| Amplitude | Amplitude is the maximum height or displacement of a wave from its equilibrium position. |
| Charge | Charge refers to the fundamental property of matter that causes it to experience electromagnetic force. |
| Diffraction | Diffraction is the bending and spreading of electromagnetic waves around obstacles or through narrow openings. |
| Dispersion | Dispersion is the separation of electromagnetic waves into different colors or frequencies due to their different velocities in a medium. |
| Electric field | An electric field is a field defined by the magnitude of the electric force at any given point in space. |
| Electric Potential | Electric potential, also known as voltage, is the electric potential energy per unit charge at a point in an electric field. |
| Electromagnetic field theory | Electromagnetic field theory is a theoretical framework that describes the behavior of electric and magnetic fields and their interactions. |
| Electromagnetic force | Electromagnetic force is the force of attraction or repulsion between electrically charged particles and is mediated by photons. |
| Electromagnetic Induction | Electromagnetic induction is the process of generating an electromotive force (EMF) in a conductor by varying the magnetic field around it or the conductor's position. |
| Electromagnetic Radiation | Electromagnetic radiation is the emission and transmission of energy in the form of electromagnetic waves, including radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays. |
| Electromagnetic Spectrum | The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all types of electromagnetic radiation, from radio waves to gamma rays, with various frequencies and wavelengths. |
| Electromagnetic Wave | Electromagnetic waves are waves that consist of oscillating electric and magnetic fields and can travel through a vacuum or various media. |
| Energy | Energy is the ability to do work or produce an effect and exists in various forms, including kinetic, potential, and electromagnetic energy. |
| Entanglement | Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon where two or more quantum particles become connected in such a way that the state of one particle is dependent on the state of another, even if they are far apart. |
| Exclusion Principle | The Pauli exclusion principle states that no two identical fermions (particles with half-integer spins) can occupy the same quantum state simultaneously, leading to phenomena like electron shell filling in atoms. |
| Field | A field models what an object would experience related to a force at a given point in space. |
| Field lines | Field lines represent the direction and intensity of a field, such as a magnetic or electric field. |
| Force | Force is a push or pull on an object resulting from interactions with other objects or fields. |
| Frequency | Frequency is the number of wave cycles passing a fixed point in a given time, often measured in Hertz (cycles per second). |
| Harmonic Oscillator | The quantum harmonic oscillator is a model used in quantum mechanics to study systems that exhibit oscillatory behavior, such as vibrating atoms and molecules. |
| Interference | Electromagnetic wave interference is the result of superimposing waves, leading to constructive or destructive interference patterns. |
| Joule | A joule is the unit of energy in the International System of Units (SI), representing the work done when a force of one newton moves an object one meter against the force's direction. |
| Magnetic field | A magnetic field is a field explaining the magnetic influence on an object in space. |
| Photon | A photon is a particle of light and other electromagnetic radiation, carrying a specific quantum of energy. |
| Photon energy | Photon energy refers to the energy carried by a photon, which depends on its frequency or wavelength. |
| Polarization | Polarization refers to the orientation of the electric and magnetic fields in an electromagnetic wave, which can be linear or circular. |
| Propagation | Electromagnetic wave propagation is the process of how electromagnetic waves travel through different media, including air, vacuum, and various materials. |
| Propagation | Electromagnetic waves propagate through space or matter, carrying energy and momentum from one location to another. |
| QED | Quantum electrodynamics is the quantum field theory that describes how photons (quantum particles of light) interact with charged particles, such as electrons and positrons, and how electromagnetic interactions occur at the quantum level. |
| Reflection | Reflection occurs when electromagnetic waves encounter a surface and bounce back, following the law of reflection. |
| Refraction | Refraction is the bending of electromagnetic waves as they pass from one medium to another with different optical densities. |
| Speed of Light | The speed of light, denoted by 'c,' is the speed at which electromagnetic waves travel through a vacuum, approximately 299,792,458 meters per second. |
| Spin | Quantum spin is an intrinsic property of elementary particles that gives rise to their magnetic moment and is essential for understanding the behavior of particles in magnetic fields. |
| Superposition | Quantum superposition is a fundamental principle in quantum mechanics, stating that a quantum system can exist in multiple states simultaneously until it is measured or observed, at which point it collapses into a definite state. |
| Wave superposition | Electromagnetic waves exhibit wave superposition, allowing them to interfere constructively or destructively when they overlap. |
| Transmission | Transmission refers to the passing of electromagnetic waves through a material without significant absorption or reflection. |
| Tunneling | Quantum tunneling is a quantum mechanical phenomenon where a particle can pass through a barrier that classical physics would consider impenetrable due to the wave-like nature of particles. |
| Volt | A volt is the unit of electric potential, representing one joule of energy per coulomb of charge. |
| Wavelength | Wavelength is the distance between two successive points of a wave that are in phase, such as crest to crest or trough to trough. |
| Wave-Particle Duality | Wave-particle duality is the concept that particles, such as electrons and photons, exhibit both wave-like and particle-like behaviors depending on the experimental conditions. |
| Atom | An atom is the basic unit of matter, consisting of a nucleus (protons and neutrons) surrounded by electrons in energy levels or shells. |
| Nucleus | The nucleus is the central core of an atom, containing protons and neutrons, and it carries a positive charge. |
| Proton | A proton is a subatomic particle found in the nucleus of an atom, carrying a positive electric charge. |
| Neutron | A neutron is a subatomic particle found in the nucleus of an atom, carrying no electric charge (neutral). |
| Electron | An electron is a subatomic particle that orbits the nucleus, carrying a negative electric charge and contributing to the atom's size. |
| Atomic Number | The atomic number represents the number of protons in an atom's nucleus, uniquely identifying each chemical element. |
| Mass Number | Mass number is the sum of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus, providing the atom's total mass. |
| Isotope | Isotopes are variants of an element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, leading to varied mass numbers. |
| Electron Configuration | Electron configuration describes the arrangement of electrons in energy levels (shells) around the nucleus of an atom. |
| Valence Electrons | Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost energy level of an atom and play a significant role in chemical bonding. |
| Ion | An ion is an atom or molecule that has gained or lost electrons, resulting in a net electric charge (positive or negative). |
| Molecule | A molecule is a chemical compound formed when two or more atoms are bonded together, either of the same or different elements. |
| Electric Dipole Moment | Electric dipole moment refers to the separation of positive and negative charges within a molecule, leading to an overall dipole. |
| Electric Polarizability | Electric polarizability is a measure of a molecule's ability to create an induced electric dipole moment in response to an external electric field. |
| Electronegativity | Electronegativity is a measure of an atom's tendency to attract electrons towards itself in a chemical bond. |
| Molecular Spectroscopy | Molecular spectroscopy studies the interaction between molecules and electromagnetic radiation, providing insights into molecular properties. |
| Molecular Orbital | A molecular orbital describes the distribution of electrons in a molecule, formed by the overlap of atomic orbitals from constituent atoms. |
| Chemical Bonding | Chemical bonding involves the attraction and sharing of electrons between atoms, forming stable molecules and compounds. |
| Van der Waals Forces | Van der Waals forces are weak attractive forces between molecules, arising from temporary fluctuations in electron distribution. |
| Electric Field of a Molecule | The electric field of a molecule describes the distribution of electric charge around the molecule, influencing its interactions. |
Some key terms
An electromagnetic wave carries electromagnetic radiation.
- An electromagnetic wave is formed as electromagnetic radiation propagates from a light source, travels through space and encounters different materials.
- Electromagnetic waves can be imagined as synchronised oscillations of electric and magnetic fields that propagate at the speed of light in a vacuum.
- Electromagnetic waves are similar to other types of waves in so far as they can be measured in terms of wavelength, frequency and amplitude.
- We can feel electromagnetic waves release their energy when sunlight warms our skin.
- Remember that electromagnetic radiation can be described either as an oscillating wave or as a stream of particles, called photons, which also travel in a wave-like pattern.
- The notion of waves is often used to describe phenomena such as refraction or reflection whilst the particle analogy is used when dealing with phenomena such as diffraction and interference.
Electromagnetic radiation refers to the transfer of all forms of radiation through space by electromagnetic waves.
- Electromagnetic radiation includes gamma rays, ultraviolet (UV), infrared (IR), X-rays, and radio waves, as well as visible light.
- Detached from its source, electromagnetic radiation (EM radiation), is transported by electromagnetic waves (or their quanta, photons) and propagates through empty space at the speed of light.
- Man-made technologies that produce electromagnetic radiation include radio and TV transmitters, radar, MRI scanners, microwave ovens, computer screens, mobile phones, all types of lights and lamps, electric blankets, electric bar heaters, lasers and x-ray machines.
Dynamic electric fields are a property of photons. Dynamic electric fields (along with dynamic magnetic fields) are responsible for the transmission of electromagnetic energy, such as visible light.
- Photons are massless particles that carry electromagnetic energy. A photon is a quantum of light.
- The electric fields produced by photons are oscillating, meaning their strength varies between maximum and minimum values over time.
- The frequency of the electric field determines the frequency of the photon. The higher the frequency of the photon, the shorter the wavelength of the photon.
Wavelength is a measurement from any point on the path of a wave to the same point on its next oscillation. The measurement is made parallel to the centre-line of the wave.
- The wavelength of an electromagnetic wave is measured in metres.
- Each type of electromagnetic radiation, such as radio waves, visible light and gamma waves, forms a band of wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum.
- The visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum is composed of the range of wavelengths that correspond with all the different colours we see in the world.
- Human beings don’t see wavelengths of visible light, but they do see the spectral colours that correspond with each wavelength and the other colours produced when different wavelengths are combined.
- The wavelength of visible light is measured in nanometres. There are 1,000,000,000 nanometres to a metre.
A magnetic field is created when electric current flows. The greater the current the stronger the magnetic field.
- Whilst an electric field is created by a change in voltage (charge), a magnetic field is created when electric current flows. The greater the current the stronger the magnetic field.
- An electromagnetic wave is the result of the interaction of an electric and magnetic field because an electric field induces a magnetic field and a magnetic field induces an electric field.
- An electromagnetic wave can be induced when either the charge of an electric field changes or when the current of a magnetic field changes or when they both change together.
- The waveform, wavelength and frequency of an electromagnetic wave result from the rapid periodic succession of transitions between the electrical and magnetic components and the forward propagation of the wave through space.
- When electric and magnetic fields come into contact to form electromagnetic waves they oscillate at right angles to one another.
- The direction of propagation of an electromagnetic wave is at right angles to the electric and magnetic fields.
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