College Physics (4th Edition)

Published by McGraw-Hill Education
ISBN 10: 0073512141
ISBN 13: 978-0-07351-214-3

Chapter 22 - Conceptual Questions - Page 861: 4

Answer

It is impossible to have a magnetic wave without any electric component.

Work Step by Step

Faraday's law states that a changing magnetic field produces an electric field. If there is a magnetic wave, then the magnitude of the field would be changing continuously as the wave propagates. By Faraday's law, this changing magnetic field would produce an electric field perpendicular to the magnetic field. Therefore, it is impossible to have a magnetic wave without any electric component.
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