In electromagnetic wave if ue and um are mean electric and magnetic energy densities respectively, then
Answers
The energy in an electromagnetic wave is tied up in the electric and magnetic fields. In general, the energy per unit volume in an electric field is given by:
energy density in electric field=
2
1
ϵ
0
E
2
In a magnetic field, the energy per unit volume is:
energy density in magnetic field=
2μ
0
1B
2
An electromagnetic wave has both electric and magnetic fields, so the total energy density associated with an electromagnetic wave is:
u=
2
1
ϵ
0
E
2
+
2μ
0
1B
2
It turns out that for an electromagnetic wave, the energy associated with the electric field is equal to the energy associated with the magnetic field, so the energy density can be written in terms of just one or the other:
u=
2
1
ϵ
0
E
2
=
2μ
0
1B
2
This also implies that in an electromagnetic wave, E = cB.