22.9 Electromagnetic Waves

[ Historical Background ]

Maxwell's Equations have the stature and importance with Electricity and Magnetism that Newton's Laws of Motion have with Mechanics. Maxwell's Equations predict that an oscillating electric and magnetic field will produce a wave -- an electromagnetic wave. This wave will continue to cause the propagation of oscillating electric and magnetic fields as shown in the figure here. The wave -- the region of oscillating electric and magnetic fields -- moves at right angles to the E and B fields which are perpendicular to each other and in phase with each other.

Resonance

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Summary

(c) Doug Davis, 2002; all rights reserved