Grade 12A-level Physics

Uses and phenomena of Electromagnetic

Oscillations and Waves
By Victor Avasi
NIS Taraz

Adapted from:
1. Paul Tippens (2007), 32C
2. Cambridge (2003), Options T booklet, and
3. “AEO” NIS (2019) Course Plan for grade 12.
4. http://www.zamandayolculuk.com/html-3/elektromanyetik_dalgalar.htm with
Google Translate
Prepared by Victor Avasi, NIS PhM Taraz
 Homework progress review
• Read the summary on pages 639-640 of the handout
• Prepare a crossword puzzle with word clues using the vocabulary words:
Maxwell, Gauss, Coulomb, Faraday, Ampere, electric flux, magnetic flux, charge,
accelerated, voltage, sinusoidal, pulse, antenna, LC circuit, perpendicular, electric
field intensity, magnetic flux density, permittivity, permeability, free and forced
oscillations, energy density, energy, intensity, velocity, area, volume, distance,
length, inverse square law, period, frequency, wavelength, universal wave
equation, , vacuum, near field, radiation field, transverse.
• The handout refers to a quantity you already know calling it the Poynting vector?
What is that quantity?
• Create a rule to remember how the magnetic and electric components of an EM
wave are oriented in space.
• Submit your crossword and answers to the teacher through private chat on
Microsoft Teams within 48 hours from the lesson.

Prepared by Victor Avasi, NIS PhM Taraz

 Revision: Free and forced electromagnetic
oscillations
• know and describe forced and free
electromagnetic oscillations;
• RLC circuit and energy conversion in a circuit;
• Analogy between mechanical and
electromagnetic oscillations.
• Thomson formula E=E0sinωt, forced oscillations
• A charged capacitor in parallel with a high-
inductance coil experiences free oscillations.
Prepared by Victor Avasi, NIS PhM Taraz
Revision:Free oscillations in an LC circuit
Click for the
slide show
button at the
bottom of the
screen for the
animation

Potential
energy is
stored
alternately in
the electric and
magnetic field.

Prepared by Victor Avasi, NIS PhM Taraz

Revision: Forced oscillations and resonance

Prepared by Victor Avasi, NIS PhM Taraz

Revision: Antenna and wavelength
• The aerial, a dipole, is like
a standing wave
• It has an antinode of the
electron movement at the
open end and a node at
the other.
• Thus the size of the aerial
can be likened to /4.

Prepared by Victor Avasi, NIS PhM Taraz

Revision: LC Circuit and EM radiation

Prepared by Victor Avasi, NIS PhM Taraz

Revision: Characteristics of EM waves

Prepared by Victor Avasi, NIS PhM Taraz

 Characteristics continued
• Polarisation (radio and microwaves polarised
by the aerial)
• Reflection
• Refraction
• Diffraction by objects of a size similar to the
wavelength of the radiation
• Interference

Prepared by Victor Avasi, NIS PhM Taraz

 Electromagnetic waves
• Uses and phenomena

Prepared by Victor Avasi, NIS PhM Taraz

 Learning objectives
• Give examples of the use of electromagnetic
waves;
• use knowledge on electromagnetic waves to
explain different phenomena, patterns and
relations in unknown situations.

Prepared by Victor Avasi, NIS PhM Taraz

 Lesson objectives
• State the detection means and the uses of
electromagnetic waves;
• Discuss the radio and TV communication band
uses qualitatively
• Explain the use of microwaves as non-ionizing
radiation and risks of electromagnetic radiation
• Explain radiation pressure, optical tweezers and
solar sail applications

Prepared by Victor Avasi, NIS PhM Taraz

Uses of EM waves

Prepared by Victor Avasi, NIS PhM Taraz

TV(1927) and Radar (1934)

Prepared by Victor Avasi, NIS PhM Taraz

 Your domestic Wi-Fi

• It uses GHz frequencies

• So far you are alright
Prepared by Victor Avasi, NIS PhM Taraz
 5G allocated frequencies so far

Source: Federal Communications Commission, USA

• Weather prediction with these frequencies is not new.

• No one fell sick during all the decades of weather study

Prepared by Victor Avasi, NIS PhM Taraz

 5G and COVID-19 Falsehoods

E=hf and Elight>Eμwave so light should be more dangerous

Prepared by Victor Avasi, NIS PhM Taraz
 Applying radiation pressure
• Read section 22.6 of Electromagnetic
waves_Physics principles with applications by
Giancoli, Douglas C Extract.pdf
• Write brief notes about how EM radiation can exert
pressure;
• Write the relations of radiation pressure for full and
moderate absorption and reflection
• Research more online about the solar sail and
optical tweezers and write a paragraph about each.

Prepared by Victor Avasi, NIS PhM Taraz

 Risks of EM radiation
• At high intensities, even light can start a fire
• Ionizing radiation can cause cell mutation
• Unencrypted messages can be read by
scanners
• .
• .
• .
• .
Prepared by Victor Avasi, NIS PhM Taraz
 Assessment for learning
• Name one device that can detect each type of EM radiation
• Give twelve uses of electromagnetic waves across the entire
spectrum;
• Name the application frequency ranges for (a) radar, (b) TV
and (c) advanced communication, remote sensing and radio
astronomy;
• Why are microwaves safe to use in telephony? What problem
might high intensity microwave radiation cause in telephony?
• Name the risks associated with EM waves?
• Explain the concepts and working of (a) radiation pressure (b)
optical tweezers and (c) the solar sail.

Prepared by Victor Avasi, NIS PhM Taraz

 Self-directed study
1. Research on how a TV remote works. What EM radiation
does it use? What are the typical frequencies of a TV
remote? What is a typical circuit of a TV remote? What is the
range of the signal for a TV remote? How does it produce
the EM radiation? Guess the sensation of the human skin to
radiation from a TV remote.
2. Research on the remote control for a drone. What
frequencies does it use? How does it differ in operation from
a TV remote?
Submit your typed answers or relevant photos of it to the
teacher through private chat on Microsoft Teams within 24 hours
from the lesson.

Prepared by Victor Avasi, NIS PhM Taraz