Electromagnetic Waves in a Vacuum

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Description: In this session, we show how the properties (wavelength, frequency, amplitude and polarization) of an electromagnetic wave can be determined from the equation that describes the wave and vice versa.

Instructor: Prof. Wit Busza

See the Video Index tab for a list of problems reviewed in this video.

Video Index

  • Review of Maxwell's equations.
  • Description of a plane polarized EM wave moving in the x-direction.
  • Similar wave but which is moving at 45 degrees to the x-axis.
  • Description of a circularly polarized EM wave.
  • Given the electric field of a standing EM wave, we derive the magnetic field.
  • For the above EM standing wave, we calculate the energy density and Poynting vector.