Electromagnetic Energy propagation

[bejoynp]

Hi All

Is the following statement true:

Electromagnetic energy requires a wave medium to propagate. (The way free electrons in a copper conductor transfer energy in an AC circuit. Electrons can act as wave medium).

If it is true, How does EM energy travel in space. Can gravity act as a wave medium?

 

[dirtyd33]

EM energy travels via vacuum through space. Gravity itself is propagated in waves and light is curved because of said gravitational fields. As for EM radiation needing a medium to propagate, what you are speculating is luminiferous ether, which was thought to exist for centuries because waves had only been seen to move though some sort of medium.The thought was that if light traveled constantly at c through a light medium, then a light medium must exist throughout the universe, for light to move through all space. This view was successfully disproved by an experiment done by Michelson and Morley. The specifics and results can be found here http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/physics/Michelson-MorleyExperiment.html.

 

[fatra2]

Electromagnetic radiation do not need a medium to travel into.

It can be deduced from the Razor's law, that electromagnetic wave do no need a medium to travel, following the Michelson-Morley experiment.

Cheers

 

[bejoynp]

Thank you all for the clarification

 

[sardar]

I can confirm that the statement is not entirely accurate. While electromagnetic energy can indeed be transmitted through a wave medium, such as in the example of AC circuits, it can also travel through space without the need for a medium. This is known as electromagnetic radiation, and it is how energy from the sun reaches the Earth.

In the case of electromagnetic radiation, the energy is carried by oscillating electric and magnetic fields that do not require a physical medium to propagate. This is because these fields can interact with each other and create a self-sustaining wave that can travel through space.

As for the question of whether gravity can act as a wave medium for electromagnetic energy, the answer is no. Gravity is a force that acts on matter, not on electromagnetic fields. While gravity does play a role in the propagation of electromagnetic radiation, it does not act as a medium for it.

In conclusion, while electromagnetic energy can be transmitted through a wave medium, it can also travel through space as radiation. Gravity does not act as a medium for electromagnetic energy, but it does play a role in its propagation.