PH0101 Unit 2 Lecture 3

 Maxwell’s equations in free space

 Plane electromagnetic wave equation
 Characteristic impedance
 Poynting vector
 Physical significance

PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 1

Representation of EM Waves in free space:
In free space, the volume charge density (ρ) = 0 and
conduction current density (J1) = 0 (since  = 0 )

PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 2

 Maxwell’s equations in free space
In free space the Maxwell’s Equations becomes,

 D = 0 (1)

 B
0=
(2)
B = 
 E = 
t
 (μ0 H) (3)
t
= D = E
 H 0 (4)
t t

PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 3

From eqn (4)
D
 H = = 0
E
t t

[Since D = ε0 E]

Differentiating above eqn with respect to time,

 2D 2E
(   H ) 0 (5)
t t 2 t 2

PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 4

  H 2E
(   H )   0
t t 2
From eqn (3) 
E  0 H
 =

Taking curl on both sides of above eqn


 (   E )    0 (   H ) (6)

PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 5

  (   E )   (   E )   2 E
=   2E [since   E= 0] (7)

Using equation (7) in


 (   E )   0 (   H )

 2 E =  0 (   H )

2
 2E
 E  0 (   H )  0  0 (8)
t 2

PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 6

The above equation is free space electromagnetic equation.
In one dimension,
2 y 2 
2
y
C
t 2 x 2 (9)

Comparing (9) with standard mechanical wave equation,

2 2 2 2
 E  E  E 1  E
 0  0 (or )  . (10)
x 2 t 2 t 2  0  0 x 2

PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 7

 1 1
C2  ( or ) C   3 108
0  0 0  0 m/s (11)

The velocity of electromagnetic wave in free space.

Similarly, the wave equation in terms of H can be written as,

2H
0  0
2H = t 2 (12)

PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 8

In a medium of magnetic permeability  and electric permittivity ,
the wave equation becomes,

2H
2H = 
t 2 (13)

 E =
2 2E
 (14)
t 2

The velocity of electromagnetic wave in any medium is,

1
C= (15)

PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 9
 Worked Example 2.1:
An electromagnetic wave of frequency f = 3.0 MHz
passes from vacuum into a non – magnetic medium
with relative permittivity 4. Calculate the increment
in its wavelength. Assume that for a non – magnetic
medium μr=1.

Solution
Frequency of the em wave = f = 3.0 MHz = 3  10 6 Hz
Relative permittivity of the non – magnetic medium = εr = 4
Relative permeability of the non – magnetic medium = μr = 1
1
Velocity of em wave in vacuum = C =
0  0
PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 10
 Wavelength of the EM wave in C 1 1
 .
vacuum = λ = f f  0 0

1 1
Velocity of em wave in C  
non- magnetic medium =   0  r  0 r

Wavelength of the em wave in non-magnetic medium =

C 1 1
 
  .
f f  0  r  0 r

PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 11

 Therefore the change in wavelength =

1 1  1 
    .   1
f  0=  0  r r 
 

3  10 8  1 
= 6 
 1  50 m
3  10  4 
i.e. the wavelength decreased by 50 m.

PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 12

 Worked Example 2.2
 Prove that the current density is irrotational.

We know that , J = σ E

curl J = curl (σ E) = σ (curl E) [ since σ is a constant]

= σ curl ( - grad V ) [E = - grad V]
= - σ curl ( grad V)
= 0 [ as curl ( grad V) = 0]
i.e. the current density is irrotational.

PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 13

 Characteristic Impedance
The solution of the equation for the electric component in the
electromagnetic wave is,
2
Ey = Eo sin (ct – x)

(1) For magnetic component,
2
Hz = HO sin (ct – x) (2)

Differentiating equation (1) with respect to time,

E y  2c  2
 E0   cos (ct  x) (3)
t    
PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 14
For three dimensional variation of H
ii jj kk
  
 
H H
xx yy
 zz
H Hxx Hyy
H HHz z

H =
 H z H y   H z H x   H y H x  H z
i    j    k   
 y z   x z   x y  x
(4)
PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 15
Since H varies only in the Z – direction and wave traveling along
X – axis, the component of H other than
H z
becomes zero in equation (4)
x
From the fourth law of free space Maxwell’s equation,
E y
 H 0 (5)
t
From equations (4) and (5),

Hz Ey
  0 (6)
x t
PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 16
Substituting E y  2c  2
 E0   cos (ct  x) in Eqn (6)
t    

Hz  2c  2
   0  E0  cos (ct  x ) (7)
x    

Integrating with respect to x,

 2c   2 
 E 0 0   sin ( ct  x )
Hz =     
 (8)
  2 
 
  
PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 17
Hz = c0E0 sin 2
 (ct – x)

Hz = 1 2
0E0 sin (ct – x)
 0 0 

0 2
Hz = E0 sin (ct – x)
0 

0
Hz = Ey (9)
0

PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 18

 Ey 0
  Z
Hz 0 (10)

Characteristic Impedance of the medium

0 = 376.8 
For free space, Z = 0

For any medium, Z = 

 ohm

PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 19

 Worked Example 2.3
 Electromagnetic radiation propagating in free space
has the values of electric and magnetic fields 86.6 V
m – 1 and 0.23 A m – 1 respectively. Calculate the
characteristic impedance.
Solution:
Electric field intensity = E =86.6 V m – 1
Magnetic field intensity = H = 0.23 A m – 1
E 86.6

Characteristic impedance = Z = H 0.23
Z = 376. 52 ohm
PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 20
 Exercise Problem
 In a plane electromagnetic wave, the electric field
oscillates sinusoidally at a frequency of 2  10 10Hz
and amplitude of 48 V m – 1. What is the wavelength of
the wave? What is the amplitude of the oscillation of
the magnetic field?

C E0 7
2
Hint:    1.5  10 m and 0
B   1. 6  10 T
f C

PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 21

 Poynting vector ( P )
 Poynting vector represent the rate of energy
flow per unit area in a plane electromagnetic
wave.
1
P  E  B  E  H
0
The direction of (P ) gives the direction in which the energy is

transferred. Unit: W/m2

PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 22

Representation of Poynting vector
Y

Ey

Hz X

PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 23

 Expression for energy density
We know
P  E  H (1)

Taking divergence on (1)

.(E  H)  H.(  E)  E.(  H)

P E  H

= B D
 H.  E. (2)
t t
PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 24
.  B D 
.(E  H)    H.
 t
 E. 
t 

 E H 
==    0 E.  0 H. 
 t t 

1 E 1 H 
==    0 (2 E ).   0 (2 H ).  (3)
2 t 2 t 

PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 25

 1 ( E ) 2 1 ( H ) 2 
.(E  H)    2  0 . t  2  0 . t 

 

 1 1 2 
==    0 E 2
  0 H  (4)
t  2 2 
Integrating the equation (4) over the volume V, we get

 1 1 2
 .( E  H )   t   2  0 E  2  0 H dV
2
(5)
V V 

PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 26

Applying divergence theorem to the LHS of Eqn (5), we get

 1 1 2
 ( E  H ).dS   t   2  0 E  2  0 H dV
2

S V  (6)
The term on the RHS within the integral of the
equation (6) represents the sum of the energies of
electric and magnetic fields.

Hence the RHS of the equation (6) represents the

rate of flow of energy over the volume V.
PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 27
 0E2
Energy associated with the electric field UE 
2
0 H 2
B2
and that of the magnetic field U m  
2 2 0

Um 
0 H 2

 B
C
 2


1
0E2 UE
2 2 0 2
E 1
 C and C 
[as B  0 0 ]
which shows that instantaneous energy density associated
with electric field i.e. energy is equally shared by the two
fields.
PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 28
 Significance of P

The Vector P = E X H has interpreted as representing

the amount of P  Eenergy
field  H passing through the unit area of
surface in unit time normally to the direction of flow of energy.
This statement is termed as Poynting’s theorem and the vector
P is called Poynting Vector.
The direction of flow of energy is perpendicular to vectors E
and H E X H

i.e., in the direction of the vector E  H

PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 29

PH0101 UNIT 2 LECTURE 3 30