Saturday, November 17, 2012

Electromagnetic waves transverse or longitudinal

Introduction:
Before going to learn whether the electromagnetic wave is transverse or longitudinal .Let us have a brief review on wave and its characteristics

Wave motion:
 It is a process of transferring energy in a medium in the form of disturbance due to repeated periodic motion of the particle in the mean about their mean position in which the energy is handed over from one particle to other particle by leaving their mean positions.

Mechanical Wave:
A mechanical wave is a periodic disturbance which can be produced only in a material medium and its transfer of energy from one point to other without there being a direct contact between  the two points.


Two types of mechanical waves:

Mechanical waves are classified into
1) Transverse waves
2) Longitudinal waves 

Electromagentic Waves are Transverse

Electromagnetic waves characteristics are similar to transverse waves.
If the particles at a medium vibrate at right angles to the direction of the propagation of the energy then that wave is called as transverse wave. Such waves are produced on the surface of water, in musical instruments. If the stretched strings, the energy the energy travels outwards and the particle of the medium vibrates up and down.

Electromagnetic waves are transverse waves.
The following terms are used in the study of transverse wave or electromagnetic wave:

Amplitude:
It is the maximum displacement of particles from the mean position. The displacement may be in either direction of the mean position.

Period: The period of a wave is the time taken by a wave to complete one oscillation

Frequency: Number of vibrations made by a particle of the medium in one second

Crest and trough of a transverse wave: A crest is a point of a transverse wave which at any instant have the maximum positive  or upward displacement.

Trough: This is defined as the maximum negative or downward displacement.

Wavelength:
For a electromagnetic wave the distance between consecutive crest and trough is called as wave length.
Wave velocity is the energy at which wave is propogated.

Electromagentic Waves are Longitudinal Waves

Longitudinal waves:
Electromagnetic waves can travel through vacuum. Example of the electromagnetic waves is the light waves. This is because light waves are not mechanical waves. A light wave is a periodical disturbance which can travel through vacuum.

These waves are discovered Maxwell and consists of vibrating electric  and magnetic fields since such fields can produce in vacuum and can be propagated in vacuum. the light waves, gamma waves, radio waves and X-rays are some of the examples of electromagnetic waves.

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