MAXWELL’S FIELD EQUATIONS AND ELECTROMAGNETIC

WAVES
Name-Rishab Sinha
Discipline-ECE1(Y)
Semester-2nd
Uni.Roll-16900318064
College Name-Academy of Technology

Abstract:
In electrodynamics Maxwell’s equations are a set of four equations that describes the
behaviour of both the electric and magnetic fields as well as their interaction with matter.
Maxwell’s four equations express (1) How electric charges produce electric field (Gauss’s
law) (2) The absence of magnetic monopoles (3) How currents and changing electric fields
produces magnetic fields (Ampere’s law) (4) How changing magnetic fields produces electric
fields (Faraday’s law of induction).

Keywords:
Continuity equation, displacement current, Modified Ampere’s law, Electromagnetic waves,
Speed of light.

Introduction:
Maxwell's equations are a set of partial differential equations that, together with the Lorentz
force law, form the foundation of classical electromagnetism, classical optics, and electric
circuits. The equations provide a mathematical model for electric, optical, and radio
technologies, such as power generation, electric motors, wireless communication, lenses,
radar etc. Maxwell's equations describe how electric and magnetic fields are generated by
charges, currents, and changes of the fields. One important consequence of the equations is
that they demonstrate how fluctuating electric and magnetic fields propagate at the speed of
light. Known as electromagnetic radiation, these waves may occur at various wavelengths to
produce a spectrum from radio waves to γ-rays. The equations are named after the physicist
and mathematician James Clerk Maxwell, who between 1861 and 1862 published an early
form of the equations that included the Lorentz force law. He also first used the equations to
propose that light is an electromagnetic phenomenon.
Gauss's law:
Gauss's law describes the relationship between a static electric field and the electric charges
that cause it: The static electric field points away from positive charges and towards negative
charges, and the net outflow of the electric field through any closed surface is proportional to
the charge enclosed by the surface.
Gauss's law for magnetism:
Gauss's law for magnetism states that there are no "magnetic charges" (also called magnetic
monopoles), analogous to electric charges. Instead, the magnetic field due to materials is
generated by a configuration called a dipole, and the net outflow of the magnetic field
through any closed surface is zero.
Faraday’s law:
The Maxwell–Faraday version of Faraday's law of induction describes how a time varying
magnetic field creates ("induces") an electric field. thIn integral form, it states that the work
per unit charge required to move a charge around a closed loop equals the rate of decrease of
the magnetic flux through the enclosed surface.
Ampère's law with Maxwell's addition:
Ampère's law with Maxwell's addition states that magnetic fields can be generated in two
ways: by electric current (this was the original "Ampère's law") and by changing electric
fields (this was "Maxwell's addition", which he called displacement current). In integral form,
the magnetic field induced around any closed loop is proportional to the electric current plus
displacement current (proportional to the rate of change of electric flux) through the enclosed
surface.

Theory and analysis:

Integral form of Maxwell’s 1st equation

It is the integral form of Maxwell’s 1st equation.

Maxwell’s first equation in differential form

It is called differential form of Maxwell’s 1st equation.

The Second Maxwell’s equation (Gauss’s law for magnetism)

The Gauss’s law for magnetism states that net flux of the magnetic field through closed
surface is zero because mono poles of magnet do not exist.
The Third Maxwell’s equation (Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction )
According to Faraday’s law

It is the differential form of Maxwell’s third equation.

The Fourth Maxwell’s equation (Ampere’s law)

The magnitude of the magnetic field at any point is directly proportional to the strength of the
current and inversely proportional to the distance of the point from the straight conductors is
called Ampere’s law.
Conclusion:
The uses and applications of Maxwell's equations are just too many to count. By
understanding electromagnetism we're able to create images of the body using MRI scanners
in hospitals; we've created magnetic tape, generated electricity, and built computers. Any
device that uses electricity or magnets is on a fundamental level built upon the original
discovery of Maxwell's equations. Maxwell deduced that light is electromagnetic in nature
and that its speed can be found by making purely electric and magnetic measurements. Thus,
the science of optics was intimately connected with those of electricity and magnetism. The
application of Maxwell’s equations is wide and diverse, as it includes the fundamental
principles of large-scale electromagnetic and optical devices, such as motors, cyclotrons,
electronic computers, radio, television, microwave radar, microscope and telescopes.

Bibliography/References:
(i) Electricity and Magnetism By Chattopadhyay & Rakshit
(ii) Electricity and Magnetism By A. B. Gupta
(iii) Physics By Pandey & Harbola
(iv) Feynmann Lectures on Physics.