EM Wave Propagation Direction – Rankers Physics
Topic: Electromagnetic Waves
Subtopic: Properties of EM Waves

EM Wave Propagation Direction

For a plane electromagnetic wave propagating in \(x\)-direction, which one of the following combination gives the correct possible directions for electric field (\(vec{E}\)) and magnetic field (\(vec{B}\)) respectively?
\(-\hat{j} + \hat{k}, -\hat{j} + \hat{k}\)
\(\hat{j} + \hat{k}, \hat{j} + \hat{k} \)
\(-\hat{j} + \hat{k}, -\hat{j} - \hat{k}\)
\(\hat{j} + \hat{k}, -\hat{j} - \hat{k} \)

Solution:

The direction of propagation of an electromagnetic wave is given by the cross product \(vec{E} \times \vec{B}\). For wave propagation along the positive \(x\)-direction, the cross product must yield a positive \(hat{i}\) vector. Using option C, \((-\hat{j} + \hat{k}) \times (-\hat{j} - \hat{k}) = \hat{j}\times\hat{k} - \hat{k}\times\hat{j} = 2\hat{i}\), which satisfies this condition.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *