Phy 254 - Electromagnetic Energy https://www.morehouse.

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ELECTROMAGNETIC  ENERGY

Carlyle Moore

The work needed to charge a capacitor is stored in the electric field between the plates. It has been
shown (see Vol. II: Electricity and Magnetism of these Notes) that the energy density associated with the
electric field inside a parallel plate capacitor is , assuming the capacitor to be without dielectric. It has
also been shown that the energy density of the magnetic field inside a solenoid (without magnetic material) is
. Although these expressions have been derived for the specific cases of a parallel plate capacitor and
a solenoid, respectively, they correctly describe the energy density associated with an electromagnetic field.

Electric and Magnetic Fields in Matter

So far, we have been talking about electric and magnetic fields in free space. As a result, the field
equations have been written in terms of the permitivity and the permeability of free space. These field
equations must be modified to take account of the polarization (electric dipole moment per unit volume) in
dielectrics and the magnetization (magnetic dipole moment per unit volume) in magnetic materials. A detailed
analysis of these phonomena will not be presented here, and we shall be concerned only with those dielectrics
in which the polarization P is proportional to the electric field E, and those magnetic materials in which the
magnetization M is proportional to the magnetic field B. The constants and can then be replaced,
respectively, by the permitivity and permeability of the medium. The permitivity of the medium is related
to the permitivity of the vacuum by the relation

(1.1)

where k is the dielectric constant. The ratio is called the relative permeability of the medium. For
many materials, this ratio is very close to unity. The total electromagnetic energy density can be written as

(1.2)

The Poynting Vector

Let us examine the last two of Maxwell's Equations, making the simplifying assumption that there is no
conduction current density :

(1.3)

 
(1.4)
The vector identity
(1.5)
gives

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(1.6)

(1.7)

If we introduce the notation

(1.8)

Equation (1.7) may be written as

(1.9)

This is identical in form to the equation

(1.10)

and is immediately recognized as an Equation of Continuity. Since w is the energy density of the
electromagnetic field, the quantity S is interpreted as the energy current density vector, i.e. the total energy
per unit area per unit time being transported by the electromagnetic wave. The vector S points in the
direction of propagation, as can easily be verified in the case of a plane electromagnetic wave. The equation
of continuity (1.9) implies the conservation of the quantity whose density is denoted by the scalar function w,
i.e. the conservation of energy.

Example 2.10

An electromagnetic wave has an electric field given by

(1.11)

where is a constant. Find the magnetic field and the Poynting vector.
______

Using Faraday's Law, we have

 

(1.12)

Equating the x-components of both sides, we get

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(1.13)
 
whence

(1.14)

Equating the y-components, we get

 
(1.15)

 
whence

(1.16)

and equating the z-components, we get

(1.17)

which implies that ( is not compatible with wave motion). Thus the magnetic field is
given by
 

(1.18)

The Poynting vector is

(1.19)

 
or

(1.20)

The electromagnetic wave described above propagates in the positive z-direction. It is a superposition
of two waves linearly polarized in the x- and y- directions. The E field has a constant magnitude and
makes an angle with the x-axis. The wave is said to be circularly polarized.
Example 2.11

A parallel plate capacitor with circular plates is being charged by an external source. Assume that the
dielectric is a perfect insulator, and that the electric field between the plates is uniform. By finding the
magnitude and direction of the Poynting vector at a point on the cylindrical surface of the dielectric, show that

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the power being delivered to the capacitor is equal to the rate of increase of the energy stored in the capacitor.
______

Let I be the charging current, R the radius of the plates and d the separation between them. The
charge Q on the capacitor is given by

(2.1)

where V is the potential difference between the plates and E is the uniform electric field between them. The
charging current is then
 
(2.2)
 
Let us apply Ampere's Law to a coaxial circular contour of radius R, as shown. This gives

(2.3)
 
Since the dielectric is perfect, the conduction current   between the capacitor plates is zero.   The
displacement current  is equal to the charging current I (the current must be continuous).  Hence we get

(2.4)

The E field is perpendicular to the plates and the B field is tangential to the contour, as shown in the diagram.
Thus the Poynting vector points radially inward, and has a magnitude given by

(2.5)

 
 We see that the Poynting vector S has the same magnitude at all points on the cylindrical surface of the
dielectric.  Thus the total power being delivered to the capacitor is equal to
 
(2.6)

where is the vector area of an infinitesimal area of the cylindrical surface of the dielectric. The minus

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sign is included because points radially outward. Thus we get

 

(2.7)

This may be written as

(2.8)

 
or

(2.9)

This shows that the power being delivered to the capacitor is equal to the rate of increase of the stored energy.

Example 2.12

Determine the magnitude and direction of the Poynting vector at a point on the surface of a straight
conducting wire carrying a constant current, uniformly distributed, and hence show that the power delivered
to the wire is equal to rate of Joule heat production.
______

Let a be the radius of the wire and I the current through it. The electric field inside the wire (assuming
it to be Ohmic) is given by

(2.10)

where r is the resistivity of the wire, A is its cross-sectional area and J the (conduction) current density. The
displacement current density is
 
(2.11)

since the current I is constant. Applying Ampere's Law to a co-axial, circular contour of radius a, we get
 
(2.12)

(2.13)

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As in the previous Example, the E and B fields are perpendicular to each other, and the Poynting vector, of
magnitude , points radially inward. The total power delivered to the conductor, of length L, is

(2.14)

or (2.15)

where R is the resistance of the conductor. Thus we see that the power delivered to the conductor is equal to
the rate of Joule heating.

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