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Electromagnetic Waves
Speed of Electromagnetic Waves
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- Speed of EM waves
All Questions
2008 AIPMT 1 question
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The velocity of electromagnetic radiation in a medium of permittivity $\varepsilon_0$ and permeability $\mu_0$ is given by :From Maxwell's equations, the speed of an electromagnetic wave in a medium of permittivity $\varepsilon$ and permeability $\mu$ is $v = \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{\mu\varepsilon}}$.
Here the medium has permittivity $\varepsilon_0$ and permeability $\mu_0$.
$C = \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{\mu_0 \varepsilon_0}}$ = velocity of the electromagnetic wave through the medium.
Dimension check: $\mu_0\varepsilon_0$ has the dimensions of $\dfrac{1}{(\text{speed})^2}$, so only $\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{\mu_0\varepsilon_0}}$ has the dimensions of speed.
Numerically this is $3 \times 10^{8}$ m/s for free space.