UNIFORM PLANE

WAVES
ANTLIA
1998

ORION
1998

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CONTENTS
Definition
Wave
of Plane Properties
Equations
and of Uniform
of Uniform
Uniform plane
plane
plane waves.
waves
waves.

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 PLANE WAVES
 Plane waves are a special case of
waves where a physical quantity,
such as phase, is constant over a
plane that is perpendicular to
the direction of wave travel.
 There can be mechanical
(both transverse 
and longitudinal) as well as EM
plane waves.
 It should be noted that EM plane
waves are only transverse. A
visualization of a plane wave is
shown here.
 Just like periodic waves, plane
UNIFORM PLANE WAVE
The uniform plane wave is defined as the magnitude of the
electric and magnetic fields. They are the same at all
points in the direction of propagation. The electric and
magnetic fields are orthogonal to the direction of
propagation. In terms of energy, the wave phenomenon is
defined as the exchange of two different forms of energy.
It is meant that the time rate of change of one form
triggers the other to a spatial change. Waves do not have
mass but contain energy, momentum, and velocity. Examples
of waves are the voltage and current waves on the
transmission line, seismic waves, sound waves, and water
waves.
PROPERTIES OF UNIFORM PLANE WAVES
 The electromagnetic waves generating from sources are
spherical. At large distances from the sources, they behave as
plane waves. When the electric (E) and magnetic (H) field
vectors of a wave are in planes perpendicular to the direction
of propagation, say the z-direction, it is called a plane wave.
Transverse electromagnetic waves (TEM waves) are an example of
a plane wave. 
 Plane waves have constant phase fronts and when their
amplitudes are uniform, they form uniform plane waves. So, if
the vectors E and H are constant at any of the planes at a
given instant, then the plane wave turns into a uniform plane
wave. 
 In uniform plane waves, the orientation of the E field is
perpendicular to the H field, and both are perpendicular to the
direction of propagation of the wave. The space variations of
and are zero over a z=constant plane
 AThis
plane wave is
implies thetransverse in neither
fields have nature, xi.e.
nor y and are both
dependence
perpendicular to= the
=0 direction of propagation
WAVE EQUATION FOR UNIFORM PLANE WAVE
TRAVELING IN Z-DIRECTION IN FREE SPACE

 Consider a uniform plane wave propagating in z direction.

 It will have Ex and E components but no Ez component. Ez = 0
 There is no variation of the field components along x and y
direction at = at =A ax ay
 Wave equations for free space is given by

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 But
Putting in Equation (1)

 Hence

 Similarly for we can obtain

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WAVE EQUATIONS FOR UNIFORM PLANE WAVE
TRAVELLING IN Z-DIRECTION IN FREE SPACE

∂2 𝐸𝑥 ∂2 𝐸𝑥
= 𝜇0 𝜀0
∂𝑧 2 ∂𝑡 2
∂2 𝐸𝑦 ∂2 𝐸𝑦
= 𝜇0 𝜀0
. ∂𝑧 2 ∂𝑡 2
∂2 𝐻𝑥 ∂2 𝐻𝑥
= 𝜇0 𝜀0
∂𝑧 2 ∂𝑡 2
∂2 𝐻𝑦 ∂2 𝐻𝑦
= 𝜇0 𝜀0
∂𝑧 2 ∂𝑡 2

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WAVE EQUATIONS FOR UNIFORM PLANE WAVE
TRAVELLING IN Z-DIRECTION IN FREE SPACE
– SINUSOIDAL TIME VARIATIONS

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SOLUTION OF WAVE EQUATIONS
 Standard partial difference equation for wave
motion frequently encountered in engineering
has the for

 Comparing with EM wave equation

the velocity of light and when referred to electromagnetic wave it is denote

Uniform Plane Wave travelling in z direction in free space

In this case the wave equations in E are
The general solution of such a differential equation has the form

 Here f1 and f2 are any arbitrary functions of

(z-ct) and (z+ct).
 The functions of (z-ct) and (z+ct) may assume
any form as,

The first function represents a wave travelling in

positive z direction while the second term
represents a wave travelling in negative z direction

Uniform Plane Wave travelling in z direction in

lossless or non conducting medium-sinusoidal time
variations
IN THIS CASE THE WAVE EQUATIONS ARE

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 The above equation is the phasor form of the
electric field.
 To find the time domain form we multiply the
phasor form by e^(jwt) and then take the real
part of it
For the phase of forward travelling wave to remain constant

As t increases z must also increase .This means that the wave travels in z direction
with a constant phase.

Similarly for the backward travelling component

As t increases z must decrease in order to keep the phase constant. This means that the
wave travels in z direction with a constant phase.
PHASE
VELOCITY
 Due to the variations of E with both time and space we may plot E as a function
of t by keeping z constant and vice versa.
 The wave take distance λ to repeat itself, hence λ is called the wavelength.
 Also the wave takes time T to repeat itself, hence T is called as period of the
Wave.
 Since it takes time T for the wave to travel a distance λ at a speed v, λ=vT.
 Since T=1/f, we may write v=fλ

Here beta is the phase constant which is in rad/m.

THANK

YOU
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