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Both electric and magnetic fields in an electromagnetic wave will fluctuate in time, one causing the other to change. Electromagnetic waves are ubiquitous in nature (i.e., light) and used in modern technology—AM and FM radio, cordless and cellular phones, garage door openers, wireless networks, radar, microwave ovens, etc.
Feb 16, 2023 · So, both EM waves and mechanical waves are determined by solving a wave equation. But EM waves must also satisfy the other parts of Maxwell's equations, namely Gauss's Law and $\nabla \cdot {\bf B} = 0$. These prohibit longitudinal oscillations of the the electric and magnetic fields.
Apr 11, 2018 · Electromagnetic waves are transverse waves because the magnetic field is perpendicular to the electric field while the wave travels. You see electromagnetic waves are made from electric and magnetic fields as the name implies. Taking one wave to be on a plane the other wave is produced in a plane perpendicular to that plane. This makes it a transverse wave.
Transverse wave, motion in which all points on a wave oscillate along paths at right angles to the direction of the wave’s advance. Surface ripples on water, seismic S (secondary) waves, and electromagnetic (e.g., radio and light) waves are examples of transverse waves.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Transverse waves are contrasted with longitudinal waves, where the oscillations occur in the direction of the wave. The standard example of a longitudinal wave is a sound wave or "pressure wave" in gases, liquids, or solids, whose oscillations cause compression and expansion of the material through which the wave is propagating.
Aug 10, 2016 · Waves in water and sound waves in air are two examples of mechanical waves. Mechanical waves are caused by a disturbance or vibration in matter, whether solid, gas, liquid, or plasma. Matter that waves are traveling through is called a medium. Water waves are formed by vibrations in a liquid and sound waves are formed by vibrations in a gas (air).
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Mar 13, 2020 · Unlike mechanical waves, electromagnetic waves do not need a medium to propagate. They can travel in a vacuum with the speed of light. The heat from a burning fire, the light from the sun, the X-rays used by a doctor, and the energy used for cooking food in a microwave are all examples of electromagnetic waves.
