Question

Why electric and magnetic fields are perpendicular to each other?

Answer 1

Hey.

Here is the answer.


A current is created when either there is a flow of charged particles(conduction current) or there is a changing electric field(displacement current). A current of any category creates a magnetic field perpendicular to it's plane of motion according to Biot-Savart's law.

Also according to Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction, changing magnetic field will create an electric field perpendicular to it's direction.

That is why in an electromagnetic wave, electric and magnetic fields promote each other in directions perpendicular to themselves.

Therefore they are perpendicular to each other.

Thanks.