Electromagnetic Waves
1.0 Introduction
1.0 Introduction
Maxwell formulated a set of equations involving electric and magnetic fields and their sources, the charge and current densities. These equations are known as Maxwell's equations. Together with the Lorentz force formula, they mathematically express all the basic laws of electromagnetism.
The most important prediction to emerge from Maxwell's equations is the existence of electromagnetic waves, which are time varying electric and magnetic fields that propagate in space. The speed of the waves, according to these equations, turned out to be very close to the speed of light $\left( {3 \times {{10}^8}\;m/s} \right)$, obtained from optical instruments. This led to the remarkable conclusion that light is an electromagnetic wave. Maxwell's work thus unified the domain of electricity, magnetism and light. Hertz, in 1885 experimentally demonstrated the existence of electromagnetic waves.
Its technological use by Guglielmo Macroni and others led to the revolution in communication.
