UNIT 1 – STEP 2

Presented by:

Enny Lizeth Gomez

Presented to:

Doria Lizeth Quintero

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL ABIERTA Y A DISTANCIA

ELECTROMAGNETIC AND WAVES THEORY

2018
1. Explain the concept of loss tangent by means of an example.

The loss tangent is used to determine some material kind. It is given by the relation of the lossy reaction of the
field E and his lossless reaction, this parameter is very useful if we want to determine the path of an
electromagnetic wave, because the loss tangent is part of the propagation constant.

2. What kind of information gives us the propagation velocity in electromagnetic waves propagation?

The propagation velocity of the wave is the velocity at which a fixed phase point on the wave travels, for a plane
wave in a lossless medium it is given by,

𝜔
𝑣𝑝 =
𝑘

3. Explain how an electromagnetic wave behaves in free space, perfect dielectrics and good conductors.

In general, the equation of the electric field of a wave, will be given by,

𝛻2𝐸 + 𝑘2𝐸 = 0

Where k is defined as the wave number. Depending of the medium where the wave is traveling k has different
values, for free space 𝑘 = 𝜔√𝜇𝜀, i.e. there is no loss of the wave amplitude. In a dielectric and good conductor
mediums k or 𝛾 is now defined as the complex propagation constant, where, 𝛾 = 𝛼 + 𝑗𝛽, where 𝛽 is the wave
number and 𝛼 is the attenuation constant.

4. Using the electromagnetic spectrum, explain the practical application of every type of radiation.

The spectrum is used in many applications, transporting electrical energy (at Colombia this frequency is about 60
Hz), in the RF band the spectrum is used for telecommunications, even newer technologies try to use infra-red
band for telecommunications too. Higher frequencies are used for medical treatments ore some ways of
generate electrical energy, etc.
 5. What is the refraction index and what kind of information give us about the electromagnetic waves behavior?

The refractive index or index of refraction of a material is a dimensionless number that describes how an
electromagnetic wave propagates through that medium. It is defined as,
𝑐
𝑛=
𝑣𝑝

The refractive index determines how much the path of light is bent, or refracted, when entering a material. This
is the first documented use of refractive indices and is described by Snell's law of refraction.

6. What are a plane wave and a non-plane wave and where are they used? What are a magnetic and a
nonmagnetic medium and where are they used?

A plane wave is a wave which wavefront are infinite parallel planes, they’ve been seen in propagation, the other
wave has different forms of wavefront, for example, one can find spherical wavefronts when a hits the surface
of a pool.

In general a magnetic medium is a medium in which the magnetic dipoles from the material are aligned in
presence of a magnetic field, if it does not happen, the material is nonmagnetic. Magnetics materials are used in
radiators, transformers, generators, etc.

Solution of exercise 02
2) In a medium with the following characteristics, 𝜀𝑟 = 4, 𝜇𝑟 = 1.6 and 𝜎 = 2.3𝑥10−4 𝑆⁄𝑚 find these parameters for a
90 MHz signal:

a. Loss tangent.
𝜎
𝑡𝑎𝑛𝛿 =
𝜔𝜀

2.3 × 10−4
𝑡𝑎𝑛𝛿 =
2𝜋 ∗ 90 × 106 ∗ 4 ∗ 8.85 × 10−12

𝑡𝑎𝑛𝛿 = 0.01

With this value of the loss tangent we can say that the material is a good insulator.

b. Propagation constant.

𝜎
𝛾 = 𝛼 + 𝑗𝛽 = 𝑗𝜔√𝜇𝜀√1 − 𝑗
𝜔𝜀

𝛾 = 0.027 + 𝑗4.77

That means that our wave will have an attenuation of 0.027 𝑁𝑃⁄𝑚 and phase constant of 4.77 𝑟𝑎𝑑⁄𝑚.

c. Phase velocity.
 𝜔
𝑣𝑝 =
𝛽

𝑣𝑝 = 1.18 × 108 𝑚⁄𝑠

That’s the velocity at which some phase point of the wave travels.

d. Wavelength.
𝑣𝑝
𝜆=
𝑓

𝜆 = 1.3𝑚

I.e. between two peaks of amplitude there is a distance of 1.3 m

e. Index of refraction.
𝑐
𝑛= = 2.53
𝑣𝑝

That means that some wave will propagate, obviously, in a slower way in our medium that in vacuum.