Thread: How exactly does electromagnetism travel?

Originally Posted by tom

Wouldnt z be in the direction of travel?

Yes. Electromagnetic waves in vacuo are composed of coupled electric and magnetic fields that oscillate perpendicular to their direction of propagation. They are directly proportional to each other according to the relation where is the electric field strength, is the magnetic field strength, and is the speed of light in vacuo. If you consider the -direction as the direction of propagation, then the -field and -field are parallel to the -plane. The -field is perpendicular to the -field. Both the -field and the -field are transverse waves because they oscillate perpendicular to their direction of propagation.

Originally Posted by grapes

I guess we're done talking about electromagnetism?

Hey! can I join you guys' dumbass club?

Sure, why not? Would you like to take my place as CEO (Chief Excremental Officer)?

Originally Posted by Pyraxus

Forgive my ignorance, but I was hoping someone could shed some light (no pun intended) on this for me.

I have always seen light waves represented as a wave pattern on a two dimensional grid. But seeing how we live in a three spatial dimensional world I was wondering if perhaps in addition to travelling in this represented way if it could also travel in a spiral or helical pattern. Could anyone give me some insight into this one or provide some links? I would appreciate it.

Polarization (waves) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Contains a good illustration of the chirality / helical spiral that you seek.

The really big question, that will probably never be answered, is, what is energy ? . Everything is made of energy but what is energy made of. The most basic form is light, but still... it has a positive and negative, but a positive and negative what ? It's a wave, but a wave of what. There's nothing in space to wave, so what is it that is waving ? Where does energy come from ? Chicken and the Egg. On and Off and On and Off. At least energy comes in little packets or quantums of energy. We can't say what it is, but we can say how much of it that we have. If the aliens come down to meet me, that's one of the first things I'm going to ask them. Have you guys figured out what energy is made of yet ?

I'm going to ask them if they know Pauly Shore.

I'd just as soon not take on the extra CEO duties (ha!).