Questions tagged [maxwell-equations]
A set of four equations that define electrodynamics. They comprise the Gauss laws for the electric and magnetic fields, the Faraday law, and the Ampère law. Together, these equations uniquely determine the electric and magnetic fields of a physical system. DO NOT USE THIS TAG for the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution, or the thermodynamical equations known as Maxwell's relations.
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Intuitive explanation for the boundary conditions in Maxwell equations [duplicate]
I was looking into the Maxwell equations and was trying to get an intuitive understanding of why there is a difference between the normal and tangential field components. Is there an explanation that ...
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Inutition for why self-inductance can occur
You use a current in an inductor coil to create a magnetic field inside that coil. The change in flux due to the magnetic field created by that coil then causes a change in the current flowing in the ...
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Why we have to consider surfaces other than the plane surface when applying ampere's law?
I understand that by considering the bulging surface the enclosed current will be 0. But why we need to consider the bulging surface when we can just require the user to apply it only on the plane ...
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Planar Waveguide — Why Can I Have One Polarization (TE) but not the other?
I am trying to understand the derivation of the mode structure of a symmetric slab waveguide, one in which a dielectric of width $d$ in the $y$-direction (and infinite in the other two directions) is ...
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Electromagnetic wave equation vs. Maxwell equations (possible solution vs. derivation)
One can take Maxwell equations in an empty space and then derive the (classical) wave equations for both $\vec{E}$ and $\vec{B}$ fields. Examples are given in almost every book or at the Wikipedia (...
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Do curl/time dependent Maxwell's equations imply divergence equations?
In Classical Electromagnetic Radiation, Heald and Marion take the divergence of Faraday's and Ampere-Maxwell's laws and state:
$$-\vec\nabla\cdot\frac{\partial\vec B}{\partial
t}=\vec\nabla\cdot\vec\...
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Validity of linear superposition in solving Maxwell's equations
I'm currently reading the book "Electromagnetic Waves and Antennas" by S. J. Orfanidis (publicly available at his own website) and a doubt came to me.
I'm referring in particular to the ...
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Why does light experience a phase shift when reflected and not experience one when passing from a higher to lower refractive index? [duplicate]
Why does light experience a phase shift when reflected, but not when passing from a higher to a lower refractive index?
If anyone could explain this conceptually it would be greatly appreciated!
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Maxwell $3\times 3$ stress tensor in arbitrary coordinates
I saw that a similar question was posted a while ago, but I still have some uncertainties and hope to get some clarification.
In Cartesian coordinates, the Maxwell $3\times 3$ stress tensor is defined ...
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Slit diffraction experiment in the near field of an antenna
Diffraction Pattern in Near-Field vs Far-Field:
Consider a monochromatic EM wave with a wavelength of 3 km, produced by an antenna. Now, imagine placing a slit of 5 meters aperture at two different ...
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The effect of Lorentz boosting in the $x$-direction on Gauss' law of magnetism
Gauss' law of magnetism says that $\nabla\cdot\mathbf{B}=0$. Suppose I Lorentz boost in the $x$-direction to get a new magnetic field $\mathbf{B}'$. Shouldn't it be the case that $\nabla'\cdot\mathbf{...
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Magnetic field induced between the plates of an infinite capacitor
Let's assume we have two infinite capacitor plates in the $xy$ plane with a distance $l$. They're connected to a voltage source $v(t)=\frac{lt}{\mu_0\epsilon_0}$. The electric field across them is $\...
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Phase change of E and M waves during EM-wave reflection
I am just restating this question, which went unanswered. According to Wikipedia, whose phase, of electric or magnetic, will change depends on the 'refractive index interface'. The problem is, they ...
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Physical meaning of Fourier transformed Maxwell equations in a vacuum
In RCWA, a semi-analytical approach to the Maxwell equations, one typically starts off with the Maxwell equations in a 3D space whose optical properties are constant in $z$, but periodic in $x$ and $y$...
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Is Ohm's law incompatible with Maxwell's equations and the continuity equation?
Every electromagnetic system should be uniquely determined by Maxwell's laws and the continuity equation, so in order to use Ohm's equation $\vec{J}=\sigma \vec{E}$ should I remove one Maxwell ...
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