Electromagnetic Wave Equation

The electromagnetic wave equation is a second-order partial differential equation that describes the propagation of electromagnetic waves through a medium or in a vacuum. It is a three-dimensional form of the wave equation. The homogeneous form of the equation, written in terms of either the electric field E or the magnetic field B, takes the form:

where

is the speed of light in the medium, and ∇2 is the Laplace operator. In a vacuum, c = c0 = 299,792,458 meters per second, which is the speed of light in free space. The electromagnetic wave equation derives from Maxwell's equations. It should also be noted that in most older literature, B is called the magnetic flux density or magnetic induction.

Read more about Electromagnetic Wave Equation:  The Origin of The Electromagnetic Wave Equation, Covariant Form of The Homogeneous Wave Equation, Homogeneous Wave Equation in Curved Spacetime, Inhomogeneous Electromagnetic Wave Equation, Solutions To The Homogeneous Electromagnetic Wave Equation

Famous quotes containing the words electromagnetic wave, wave and/or equation:

    What is history? Its beginning is that of the centuries of systematic work devoted to the solution of the enigma of death, so that death itself may eventually be overcome. That is why people write symphonies, and why they discover mathematical infinity and electromagnetic waves.
    Boris Pasternak (1890–1960)

    The wave of evil washes all our institutions alike.
    Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

    Jail sentences have many functions, but one is surely to send a message about what our society abhors and what it values. This week, the equation was twofold: female infidelity twice as bad as male abuse, the life of a woman half as valuable as that of a man. The killing of the woman taken in adultery has a long history and survives today in many cultures. One of those is our own.
    Anna Quindlen (b. 1952)