A plane electromagnetic wave of visible light is propagating in free space
PHYSICS · Subjective · AP · Physics 2: Algebra-based · Waves Sound and Physical Optics · Waves Sound and Physical Optics
Problem
A plane electromagnetic wave of visible light is propagating in free space.
(i) Define the amplitudes E0 and B0 of the electric and magnetic fields associated with the wave.
(ii) Taking the speed of light in vacuum as 3.0×108ms−1, calculate the numerical ratio E0/B0.
(iii) Explain, without detailed calculation, why the electric field amplitude is many orders of magnitude larger than the magnetic field amplitude even though both fields carry equal amounts of energy on average.