Task 2 - Electromagnetic waves in open media
Individual work
Student name
LEIDY TATIANA CARVAJAL VELA
Group 213022A_2031
Identification number
1014282973
UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL ABIERTA Y A DISTANCIA UNAD
Escuela de Ciencias Básicas, Tecnología e Ingeniería - ECBTI
Electromagnetics Theory and Waves
2025 16-01
Activity
1. Investigate the following concepts by exploring texts or internet
sources. Each concept must be explained using your own words.1.
a. In the context of electromagnetic waves, what is an open propagation
medium?
An open propagation medium is one where electromagnetic waves can propagate
freely, i.e. they do not need a structure to route or guide them to a specific
destination. Some open propagation media are air and vacuum.
b. Within the propagation mediums, what is the meaning of the p “loss
tangent”?
It is the dissipation factor which represents the amount of energy that is lost as a
wave propagates through a medium is represented by the following equation
𝜀
𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝛿 = 𝜀 where the ε'' is the imaginary electrical permittivity (the capacity of the
medium to absorb energy) and ε' which is the real electrical permittivity (the
capacity of the medium to store
energy)
c. How can we classify a medium according to the value of its "loss tangent"?
The basic classification based on the lost tangent is as follows:
• Perfect dielectrics: no conduction current, therefore no Joule effect losses
• Perfect conductors: they do not present polarization current, therefore, they
do not have capacitive or charge accumulation effects.
• Good insulators: They present conduction current and have Joule effect
losses, but this effect is almost negligible compared to the capacitive effect,
they are also called "low loss dielectrics".
• Good conductors: they present polarization current, therefore, they have
capacitive or charge accumulation effects, but the conduction current and
Joule effect losses are much more significant
• Dissipative dielectrics: they present both effects and neither is negligible
compared to the other. the other.
2. Application exercise:
The following 4-step exercise describes the method to characterize an
electromagnetic wave when propagating in an open environment, for which,
each student must choose 1 propagation media of the proposed in Table 1 and
announce it within the Task 1 forum to avoid repetition.
Table 1
Conductivity 𝜎 and Electrical Permittivity 𝜀𝑟 of Some Media.
Select Media 𝛔 [𝐒⁄𝐦] 𝛆𝐫 [ ]
☐ 1. Copper 5.80𝑥107 1
☐ 2. Sea water 4 80
☐ 3. Air 5.5𝑥10−15 1.0005
☐ 4. Vegetable soil 1.00𝑥10−2 14
x 5. Dry soil 1.00𝑥10−4 3
☐ 6. Sweet water 1.00𝑥10 −3 80
☐ 7. Vacuum 0 1
Note: Select one of the seven media.
a. Calculate the tangent of losses Tan (δ) and the angle of losses δ of
the medium chosen in Table 1, if through it travel an electromagnetic
wave E of frequency 𝑓 = (𝐶𝐶𝐶 + 20)
b. 𝑀𝐻𝑧. Note that 𝐶𝐶𝐶 are the last 3 digits of your identification
number. (1014282973)
𝑓 = (973 + 20)𝑚ℎ𝑧 = 993𝑚ℎ𝑧
10−4 𝑠
𝜎 = 1∗ 𝑚
𝜀𝑟 = 3
c2
𝜀0 = 8.8542*10−12 𝑁𝑚2
Tangent of losses:
𝜎 𝜎 2𝜋𝑓εrε𝑜
𝑻𝒂 =
𝒏(𝜹 𝜔𝜀
)=
𝑇𝑎𝑛 (𝛿)
10−4 𝑠
1∗ 𝑚
=
c2
2𝜋 ∗ 993 ∗ 106 ℎ𝑧 ∗ 3 ∗ 8542 ∗ 10−12
𝑁𝑚2
𝑇𝑎𝑛 (𝛿)
= 0,00138616
Note that:
𝜔 = 2 ∗ 𝜋 ∗ 𝑓 ; 𝜇 = μr ∗ μ 𝑜 and 𝜀 = εr ∗ ε𝑜
ε𝑜 = 8.8542x10−12𝐶2/N𝑚2
𝜇𝑜 = 1.2566x10−6 T m/A
𝜇𝑟 = 1
𝛿 = 𝑇𝑎𝑛−1 0,001386 = 0,079411°
Figura 1
Attention, for the calculations:
1. Replace your values (with units) in the equation.
2. Perform the operation on a virtual scientific calculator. *
3. Paste the calculator image into the report.
4. Write the answer with your units.
If the image is not included, the exercise rating is 0 points.
* You can use https://www.geogebra.org/scientific
2. According to the result obtained in part (a), classify and select the behavior
of the chosen medium according to one of the 5 options:
Table 2.
Classification of Propagation Media.
Check Media Tan(δ) δ [°]
☐ Perfect dielectrics (Not dissipative) Tan(δ) = 0 δ = 0°
X Good insulators (Lost low dielectric) 0 < Tan(δ) <= 0,1 0° < δ <= 6°
☐ Dissipative (Dielectrics with 0,1 < Tan(δ) < = 6° < δ <=
dielectrics losses) 10 84°
☐ Good conductors (Good conductors) Tan(δ) > 10 84°< δ < 90°
☐ Perfect conductors (Perfect conductors) Tan(δ) >>> 10 δ = 90°
Note: This table makes a classification of the medium according to the value
obtained in the loss angle, the student must indicate the behavior obtained
according to their data.
3. According to the classification obtained in part (b) and using Table 3 shown
below, calculate the propagation parameters , and of the wave in the chosen
medium:
Table 3.
Propagation Parameters in Open Media.
☐ Not ☐ Lost low ☐ Dielectrics with ☐ Good
Parameter
dissipative dielectric losses conductors
𝜸 𝑗𝜔√𝜇𝜀 𝑗𝜔√𝜇𝜀 √𝒋𝝎𝝁(𝝈 + 𝒋𝝎𝜺) √𝑗𝜔𝜎𝜇𝑜
𝜶 0 𝜎𝜂⁄2 𝑹𝒆() √𝜋𝑓𝜎𝜇𝑜
𝜷 𝜔√𝜇𝜀 𝜔√𝜇𝜀 𝑰𝒎() √𝜋𝑓𝜎𝜇𝑜
𝜼 √𝜇⁄𝜀 √𝜇⁄𝜀 √𝒋𝝎𝝁⁄(𝝈 + 𝒋𝝎𝜺) √𝑗𝜔𝜇𝑜⁄𝜎
Note: This table shows the equations necessary to calculate the attenuation,
attenuation and phase constant according to the behavior obtained in the
previous table. The student must indicate the column of the behavior obtained
in the previous step.
i. Propagation constant 𝛾: 𝜸=
𝑗𝜔√𝜇𝜖
10−6 𝑇𝑚
𝑗 ∗ 2𝜋 ∗ 993 ∗ 106 𝑀ℎ𝑧 √1 ∗ 1,2566 ∗ ∗ 3 ∗ 8,8542 ∗ 10−12 𝑐 2 /𝑁𝑚2
𝐴
𝑦 = 36,046486𝑖
ii. Attenuation constant : 𝜶=
𝜎𝑛
2
1.00 ∗ 10−4 ∗ 21,75019
2
0.0108750995421 𝑁𝑝/𝑚
iii. Phase constant : 𝜷=
𝜔√𝜇𝜀
β = 6239203010.029329√1.256600000000−6 ∗ 8.858627100000 ∗ 10−12
β = 36.046486
d. According to the results obtained in step 3 and using the following equations,
calculate the propagation characteristics of the wave in the chosen medium:
i. Propagation speed 𝒗𝒑.
ii. Wavelength 𝝀.
iii. The penetration depth of the 𝜹𝒑 wave in the medium.
𝜔 2𝜋 1
𝑉𝑝 = 𝜆= 𝛿𝑝 =
𝛽 𝛽 |𝛼|
i. Propagation speed 𝒗𝒑:
2𝜋 ∗ 𝑓
𝑣𝑝 =
36.0464861588106
2𝜋 ∗ 993 ∗ 106
𝑣𝑝 =
36.0464861588106
𝑣𝑝 = 6283185.307179586
ii. Wavelength 𝝀.
2𝜋
λ=
36.0464861588106
λ = 0.1743078445843
iii. The penetration depth of the 𝜹𝒑 wave in the medium.
1
δ𝑝 =
0.000000000001
δ𝑝 = 100000000000 𝑚
e. Using the following equation, calculate 𝛿(𝑓) for some values of frequency 𝒇
given in Table 5 (Calculator must be in DEGREE mode). Identify and explain
how the medium behaves as the frequency increases. use the medium chosen
in this activity. Plot the data using Excel or other.
𝜎
𝛿°(𝑓) = 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 ( )
2𝜋𝑓𝜀𝑟 𝜀𝑜
Table 4.
Losses Angle / Media Behavior
Media: Dry soil 𝜎 = 1.00 ∗ 10−4 𝜀𝑜 = 8.8542 ∗ 10−12 𝜀𝑟 = 3
𝒇(𝑯𝒛) 𝜹°(𝒇) Media behavior
1 0.00566159800302 0° < 𝛿 <= 6° Good insulators.
1 ∗ 103 0.000005661598 0° < 𝛿 <= 6° Good insulators.
1 ∗ 106 0.00 0° < 𝛿 <= 6° Good insulators
1 ∗ 109 0.00 0° < 𝛿 <= 6° Good insulators
1 ∗ 1012 0.00 0° < 𝛿 <= 6° Good insulators
REFERENCES
• Chen, W. (2005). The Electrical Engineering Handbook. Academic Press.
• Gutiérrez, W. (06 de 09 de 2017). Loss Tangent. Obtenido de
http://hdl.handle.net/10596/13139
• Leyton L., &. Q. (2019). Characterization of electromagnetic waves in open
media. Obtenido de http://repository.unad.edu.co/handle/10596/30439
• Quesada-Pérez, M. &.-C. (2014). From Maxwell's Equations to Free and Guided
Electromagnetic Waves: An Introduction
• for First-year Undergraduates. Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
