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Wave Nature of Light

Simple Derivation of Electromagnetic Waves from Maxwells
Equations

Wave is the propagation of disturbance, whenever an electric charge oscillates or

accelerated, a disturbance characterized by oscillating electric and magnetic fields
propagate outward from it. This disturbance is called an electromagnetic wave.
Energy transmitted through space or through material medium in the form of
electromagnetic wave is known as electromagnetic radiation.
Light is an electromagnetic waves it characterized by the electric field and
Magnetic field . Which are right angles to each other and also at right angles to the
direction of propagation of wave. These two vectors are always in phase and are
interdependent.

Thus electromagnetic waves are transverse and is also said to be linearly polarized as the
electric field vector always along perpendicular direction and the magnetic fields vector is
perpendicular to the direction and wave to be polarized in a x direction at the speed of light c.

We will derive the equation from Maxwell Equation in free space.

Start with Faradays law take the curl of the E field.

Equating magnitudes in Faradays law

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This means that the spatial variation of the electric field gives rise to a time varying magnetic
field. In similar fashion we derive a second equation from Ampere Maxwell law.

Take the curl of B:

This means that the spatial variation of the magnetic fields gives rise to a time varying
electric field.

Take the partial derivative of equation (1) with respect to x and combining the results from
(2)

In a similar manner we can derive a second equation for magnetic field.

Both equation (3) and (4) have the form of general wave equation for a wave (x,t) travelling
in x direction with speed .

Equating the speed with the co-efficient on (3) and (4) we derive the speed of electric and
magnetic waves. Which is a constant we symbolize with c.

o Absolute permeability of free space

o- Absolute permittivity of free space

o=410-7 wb/A; 1/4 o = 9109 Nm2/C2

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The simplest solution to the differential equation (3) and (4) are sinusoidal wave
function.

Where

k=2/ is the wave number

= 2f is the angular frequency

= Wavelength; f = is the frequency and

/k = f = = c

Taking partial derivative of E and B and substituting into (1)

At every instant, the ratio of the electric field to the magnetic field in an electromagnetic
wave equals the speed of light.
The rate of energy transfer by an electromagnetic wave is described by the Poynting vector,
S, defined as the rate at which energy passes through a unit surface area perpendicular to the
direction of wave propagation (w/m2)

For a plane electromagnetic wave

The time average of S over one or more cycles is called the wave intensity, I, which gives the
very important result that the intensity of a light wave is proportional to the square of the
amplitude of the electric or magnetic fields:

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(1/2 comes from averaging the cosine squared terms) Intensity is a measureable real
quantity that has primary significance in all wave phenomena. Intensity is the loudness of a
sound or the brightness of a light.

The velocity of electromagnetic waves in a medium is given by

1
=

Absolute permeability of medium

Absolute permittivity of medium

n = Refractive index of the medium

1

= = 0 0=
1 0 0

[ = k0]

0
= = [ = 1]
0

The value of n are 1.00 for air, 1.33 for water, 1.45 for silicon glass, 2.42 for diamond

The refractive index of the medium is equal to square root of dielectric constant.

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