Whites, EE 382 Lecture 6 Page 1 of 7

Lecture 6: Maxwell’s Equations,

Boundary Conditions.

In the last four lectures, we have been investigating the behavior

of dynamic (i.e., time varying) electric and magnetic fields.

In the previous lecture, we discussed “Maxwell’s law” (i.e.,

Ampère’s law with the added displacement current term). For a
capacitor, we found that displacement current completes the
path of the current where conduction ends.

Notice in the definition of capacitor displacement current

dV
Id  C
dt
that a time varying electric field in space is producing a
conduction current, which subsequently produces a time varying
magnetic field. Amazing!

Conversely, in Faraday’s law

d m
emf  
dt
a magnetic field effect produces an emf (a “source” voltage).

This is a beautiful “duality” between these two effects:

© 2016 Keith W. Whites

Whites, EE 382 Lecture 6 Page 2 of 7

E  t  induces
 Maxwell’s law:   B t 
t
B  t  induces
 Faraday’s law:   E t 
t

Since a time varying electric field produces a magnetic force and

vice versa, we now speak of an electro-magnetic field, rather
than electric and magnetic fields separately.

Because of this duality, we will see shortly that electromagnetic

signals can propagate as waves! It is because of this fantastic
circumstance that there exists light, radio communications,
satellite remote sensing, RADAR, fiber optic networks, CAT
scans, etc.

Maxwell’s Equations

The laws of classical electromagnetics can be neatly

summarized into a concise collection called Maxwell’s
equations.

In point form, Maxwell’s equations read:

Whites, EE 382 Lecture 6 Page 3 of 7

B  t 
  E t    Faraday’s law
t
D  t 
  H t    J t  Ampère’s law
t
  D  t   v  t  Gauss’ law, I
  B t   0 Gauss’ law, II

In integral form, Maxwell’s equations read

d
 E  t   dl    B  t   ds Faraday’s law
c s 
dt s c 
d
 H  t   dl   D  t   ds   J  t   ds Ampère’s law
c s 
dt s c  s c 

 D  t   ds   v  t  dv Gauss’ law, I
s v  v s 

 B  t   ds  0 Gauss’ law, II
s v 

In addition, the continuity equation (conservation of charge)

reads in point form:
  t 
  J t    v
t
and in integral form
d
 J  t   ds    v  t  dv
s v 
dt v s 
Whites, EE 382 Lecture 6 Page 4 of 7

These laws describe all of classical (i.e., non-quantum

mechanical) electromagnetism. Maxwell’s equations are an
amazingly short and concise set of equations. However, these
equations are usually difficult to solve for real-world problems.

Interdependent Equations

As it turns out, not all of these equations are independent for

dynamic fields. For example, if we take the divergence of
Ampère’s law:
 D 
    H   0    J     
 t 
we find that it reduces to

J   v
t
which is the continuity equation.

There are other examples of interdependencies among

Maxwell’s equations for dynamic fields.

Constitutive Equations

For dynamic electromagnetism, the static constitutive equations

are still applicable:
Whites, EE 382 Lecture 6 Page 5 of 7

 D t    E t 
 B t    H t 
 J t    E t 

However, for sinusoidal steady state problems, the material

parameters are often a function of frequency. That is
              

Boundary Conditions

The boundary conditions for dynamic EM fields remain the

same as were derived earlier in EE 381 for static fields:
â21

Tangential components –
 aˆ21   E2  t   E1  t    0
 aˆ21   H 2  t   H1  t    J s   K 

Normal components –
 aˆ21   D2  t   D1  t     s  t 
 aˆ21   B2  t   B1  t    0
Whites, EE 382 Lecture 6 Page 6 of 7

Example N6.1: The electric field E  x, t   aˆ z Eo cos t   x 

V/m exists in free space. Determine H  t  and  consistent with
this electric field and all of Maxwell’s equations.

B
 From Faraday’s law:   E   . For this example
t
aˆ x aˆ y aˆ z
   E B
  0   0   aˆ y z  
x y z x t
0 0 Ez
Therefore,
By Ez 
   Eo cos t   x  
t x x 

 Eo  1 sin t   x   t   x 
x
By
or    Eo sin t   x 
t

So, By  E cos t   x   C
 o

The constant C cannot be a function of time. It is often taken

as zero for dynamical problems if there are no sources present
for constant magnetic fields. Therefore,

H  t   aˆ y E cos t   x  [A/m]
0 o
 Whites, EE 382 Lecture 6 Page 7 of 7

D
 From Ampere’s law:   H   J 0 . Then
t
aˆ x aˆ y aˆ z
   H y E
  0   z
 0  ˆ
a  
x y z x t
0

0 Hy 0
Therefore,
 
    
 Eo cos t   x     0 Eo cos t   x  
x  0  t   
  Ez 
or

   t   x    t   x 
Eo  1 sin t   x    0 Eo  1 sin t   x 
0 x  t
 

So that
2
  0 or    0 0 [rad/m]
0

Ez
   D     0 E    0  0.  consistent with Maxwell’s
z
equations.
B
   B  y  0 .  consistent with Maxwell’s equations.
y