what is the velocity of all electromagnetic waves in a vacuum?

This post contains affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn affiliate commission, from qualifying purchases.

You have a vacuum cleaner at home. but did you ever try to know what is the velocity of all electromagnetic waves in a vacuum?

Developments in science resulted in different branches of it, one of that is physics. In physics, you must have learned about energy transfer and how sound travels. 

Sound and light both travel in the form of waves. Waves have unique characteristics of traveling, they transfer energy while moving at a very higher velocity. Here we will only talk about what is the velocity of all electromagnetic waves in a vacuum?. At first, let me guide you about the basic terminologies.

What is Velocity?

Velocity is the rate of variation of the place of an object with time. Velocity is known as a vector quantity as magnitude and direction both required to describe this property. In short, it can be said that velocity is almost the same as speed when neglecting direction.

Waves

Waves travel from one place to another to transfer energy. Not all kinds of matter products move with waves. Medium is the substance that helps the wave to travel. It moves repeatedly back and forth in the form of a longitudinal pattern while transferring the energy.

Waves have different types such as

  • Mechanical Waves
  • Electromagnetic Waves

Here we will talk about Electromagnetic waves:

Electromagnetic waves are made as a result of vibrations or oscillations among the electric and magnetic fields. In other words, electromagnetic waves consist of vibrating waves.

Production of Electromagnetic Waves

Mostly electromagnetic waves are created when an electric field somehow is in relation to a magnetic field. Therefore they are called the name of electromagnetic waves. These are basically a type of transverse waves. Both the fields are perpendicular to each other to the direction of travel of electromagnetic waves.

Traveling Through Vacuum Is Possible for Electromagnetic Waves

As the Maxwell equations demonstrate, a change in the magnetic field induces an electrical field and vice versa. 

As electric fields and magnetic fields continuously produce each other as the wave propagates, Electromagnetic wave needs no medium, these waves can propagate not only in the gas and solids but can also travel efficiently in the vacuum. Although, refraction and reflection properties are associated with electromagnetic waves.

The velocity of all electromagnetic waves in a vacuum

Electromagnetic waves propagate with a consistent speed of 3.00 × 108 meters per second in space/vacuum approximately equal to the speed of light. Their oscillatory motion causes vibrations.

The vibration makes electromagnetic waves electrically charge. These vibrations make waves that have both electric and attractive segments. Electromagnetic waves transport energy through a vacuum while traveling at the rate of  3.00 x 108 meters per second (appraised speed is commonly written by the letter c). 

Energy through the medium vehicle system includes assimilation and reemission of wave energy with the material molecules. When the electromagnetic wave penetrates through the atoms of the material, the wave energy is absorbed.

Energy retention makes electrons in molecules go through vibration. After a short vibrational movement, vibrating electrons make another electromagnetic wave with somewhat alike recurrence as the initial electromagnetic wave. While these vibrations happen just for a too-small time frame, they defer the development of the waves into the medium. After the energy of the wave re-radiated by atoms, these waves pass through a little zone of room between the molecules.

While the electromagnetic waves will go at a speed of c= (3 x 108 meters per second) through the interatomic vacuum chamber, the cycle of assimilation and reemission causes electromagnetic waves’ net speed to down by some amount 

The actual speed of electromagnetic waves through a material medium relying upon the optical thickness of the medium. Various materials cause various measures of deferral because of the retention cycle and reemission. 

Furthermore, various materials have their molecules firmly pressed and compacted, and along the lines, the measure of separation between the atoms is less. the traveling speed of electromagnetic waves vary by a large amount as strong bonding between atoms does not provide more space for traveling.

Subsequently, the speed of electromagnetic waves depends upon the material through which it traveled.

Speed of Electromagnetic Waves in Vacuum relies upon

Like some other wave, electromagnetic waves have a restricted speed that relies upon the idea of the medium through which it travels. Electromagnetic wave speed will be diversely noticeable all around in solid medium or in gases. Wave speed is free of recurrence and frequency in a vacuum, the traveling speed stays close to light traveling speed, which is referenced previously.

Leave a Comment