Task 1 - Electromagnetic waves in open media

Individual work

BAIRON FREDY RAMIREZ AMAYA

Group 203058_85
1053684432

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL ABIERTA Y A DISTANCIA UNAD

Escuela de Ciencias Básicas, Tecnología e Ingeniería
Teoría Electromagnética y Ondas
2022 16-04
 Exercises development

Activity
Answers: (write with your own words)
1. In the context of electromagnetic waves, what is an open
propagation medium?
 The propagation medium is the location where waves move
although electromagnetic waves do not require a medium to
propagate, they may travel across all of space and reach from the
earth to the sun and other stars.

2. Within the propagation mediums, what is the meaning of the “loss

tangent”?
 A material's dielectric loss tangent (tan) quantifies the dissipation
of electrical energy owing to various physical processes such as
electrical conduction, dielectric relaxation, dielectric resonance,
and loss from non-linear systems.

3. How can we classify a medium according to the value of its "loss

tangent"?

 Perfect dielectric (Tan(δ) = 0)

 Good insulator (0 < Tan(δ) <= 0,1)
 Dissipative dielectric (0,1 < Tan(δ) <= 10)
 Good conductor (Tan(δ) > 10)
 Perfect conductors (Tan(δ) >>> 10)

4. What is the "penetration depth" of an electromagnetic wave?

 The depth of penetration of light or other electromagnetic
radiation into a substance is measured. It is defined as the depth
at which the intensity of the radiation inside the material
decreases to 1/e (about 37% of its initial value at (or just under)
the surface.

Application exercise:
The following 4-step exercise describes the method to characterize an
electromagnetic wave when propagating in an open environment, for
which, each student must choose 1 propagation media of the proposed
in Table 1 and announce it within the Task 1 forum to avoid repetition.

Table 1: Conductivity σ and electrical permittivity ε rof some media.

Media σ [S / m] εr [ ]
1. Copper 5.80 x 10
7
1
2. Sea water 4 80
3. Air 5.5 x 10
−15
1.0005
4. Vegetable soil 1.00 x 10−2 14
5. Dry soil 1.00 x 10−4 3
6. Sweet water 1.00 x 10
−3
80
7. Vacuum 0 1
−12 2 2
ε =ε r ε o ; ε o =8.8542 x 10 C /N m

Step 1: Calculate the tangent of losses Tan (δ) and the angle of losses
δ of the medium chosen in Table 1, if through it travel an
electromagnetic wave E of frequency f =(CCC+10) MHz . Note that CCC are
the last 3 digits of your identification number.

 In the medium of copper:

f =( 432+10 ) MHz=442 MHz=442 x 106 Hz

σ σ
tan ( δ )= =
ω ε 2 πf ε r ε o
7
σ 5.80 x 10 S /m 6
tan ( δ )= = =235.877 x 10
2 πf ε r ε o 2 π∗442 x 106 Hz∗1∗8.8542 x 10−12 C2 / N m2

 Angle of losses δ:

δ=tan−1 ( 235.877 x 106 ) =89.99 °

Calculator evidence

Figure 1: operation 1 on a virtual scientific calculator.

Step 2: According to the result obtained in point 1, classify the behavior

of the chosen medium according to one of the 5 options in Table 2:

Media Tan(δ) δ [°]

1. Perfect dielectrics (Not dissipative) Tan(δ) = 0 δ = 0°
2. Good insulators (Lost low dielectric) 0 < Tan(δ) <= 0,1 0° < δ <= 6°
3. Dissipative dielectrics (Dielectrics with losses) 0,1 < Tan(δ) <= 10 6° < δ <=84°
4. Good conductors (Good conductors) Tan(δ) > 10 84°< δ < 90°
5. Perfect conductors (Perfect conductors) Tan(δ) >>> 10 δ = 90°

Table 2: Classification of propagation media.

 Since the tangent of losses computation resulted in a value of
89.9°, we may infer that copper is a medium that shows wave
conductivity.

Step 3: According to the classification obtained in step 2 and

using Table 3 shown below, calculate the following propagation
parameters of the wave in the chosen medium:
 a. Propagation constant  (gamma).
b. Attenuation constant  (Alpha).
c. Phase constant  (Beta).

Not Lost low Dielectrics with Good

Parameter
dissipative dielectric losses conductors
γ jω √ με jω √ με √ jωμ(σ + j ωε) √ jω σ μo
α 0 ση/ 2 ℜ¿ ) √ πf σ μ o
β ω √ με ω √ με ℑ() √ πf σ μ o
η √ μ/ε √ μ/ε √ jω μ/(σ + j ωε) √ jω μo /σ
−6
μ=μ r μ o ;μ r=1 ( non−magnetic media ) ; μ o=1.2566 x 10 T m/ A

Table 3: Propagation parameters in open media.

Note that ω=2 πf , μ=μ r μ o and ε =ε r ε o

 The propagation constant:

γ= √ jωσ μ o=√ j 2 πf σ μo

Where:
6 6 rad
ω=2 π∗4 4 2 x 10 Hz=277.717 x 10
s

μo =1∗1.2566 x 10−6 T m/ A=1.2566 x 10−6 T m/ A

σ =¿ 5.80 x 107 S / m

Then:

γ= √ j∗2 π∗442 x 10 Hz∗1.2566 x 10 T m/ A∗5.80 x 10 S /m¿

6 −6 7

γ=318125.583+318125.583 j

 Attenuation constant:
¿ √ πf σ μ o
Then:

¿ √ π∗442 x 10 6 Hz∗1.2566 x 10−6 T m/ A∗5.80 x 107 S/m

rad
¿ 318125.583
m

 Phase constant:
¿ √ πf σ μ o

 Replacing the knowing values:

¿ √ π∗442 x 10 6 Hz∗1.2566 x 10−6 T m/ A∗5.80 x 107 S/m

rad
¿ 318125.583
m

Figure 2: operation 2 on a virtual scientific calculator.

Step 4: According to the results obtained in step 3 and using the

following equations, calculate the propagation characteristics of the
wave in the chosen medium:
d. Propagation speed v p .
e. Wavelength λ .
f. The penetration depth of the δ pwave in the medium.

 The propagation speed:

rad 6
277.717 x 10
ω s
V p= =
❑ rad
318125.583
m
m
V p=8729.785
s
 Wavelength:

2π 2π
λ= =
β 8 rad
460.958 x 10
m
−5
λ=1.975 x 10 m

 Penetration depth:
1
δ p=
|α |
1
δ p=
¿ 460.958 x 10 ∨¿=3.143 x 10−6 m¿
8
 Figure 3: operation 3 on a virtual scientific calculator.

Interpretation
Interpretation: The magnitude of the loss tangent was 235.877 x 106 . The
fact that copper is a Good Conductor medium may also be inferred.
The wavelength was 1.975 x 10−5 m with a frequency of 442MHz and a
m
propagation speed of 8729.785
s

The penetration depth reflects the wave's path through the copper. This
wave's penetration depth is 3.143 x 10−6 m .

Video link
URL:

References

[1] Quesada-Pérez, M., & Maroto-Centeno, J. (2014). From Maxwell's

Equations to Free and Guided Electromagnetic Waves: An Introduction
for First-year Undergraduates. Nova Science Publishers, Inc. (pp. 46-
60).

[2] Chen, W. (2005). The Electrical Engineering Handbook. Academic

Press. (pp. 513-519).