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What is an Electromagnetic Wave? definitions

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  • Electromagnetic Wave
    A wave composed of oscillating electric and magnetic fields, propagating through space.
  • Electric Field
    A field around charged particles that exerts force on other charges, oscillating in electromagnetic waves.
  • Magnetic Field
    A field produced by moving electric charges, oscillating perpendicular to electric fields in waves.
  • Speed of Light
    A fundamental constant, approximately 3 x 10^8 meters per second in a vacuum.
  • Vacuum Permittivity
    A constant representing the ability of a vacuum to permit electric field lines.
  • Vacuum Permeability
    A constant representing the ability of a vacuum to support magnetic field lines.
  • Transverse Wave
    A wave with oscillations perpendicular to the direction of propagation.
  • Longitudinal Wave
    A wave with oscillations parallel to the direction of propagation.
  • Amplitude
    The maximum extent of a wave's oscillation, related to electric and magnetic fields in light.
  • Wavelength
    The distance between successive crests of a wave, such as light.
  • Frequency
    The number of oscillations per unit time in a wave.
  • Ether
    A hypothetical medium once thought necessary for light propagation, disproven in the early 20th century.
  • Medium
    A substance through which a wave can travel, affecting its speed.
  • Propagation
    The action of a wave traveling through space or a medium.
  • Proportionality
    A relationship where one quantity is a constant multiple of another, used in wave speed calculations.