Permeability of Light: Dependence Factors

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter mustaffarel
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Light Permeability
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the factors that influence a substance's permeability of light, exploring its relationship with electromagnetic waves and magnetic fields. Participants examine the definitions and implications of permeability in various contexts, including its application to light and other electromagnetic phenomena.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions what factors determine a substance's permeability of light.
  • Another participant asserts that permeability relates to how a substance affects magnetic fields, not limited to light but applicable to all magnetic fields.
  • A participant connects the concept of permeability to the nature of visible light as an electromagnetic wave.
  • Further elaboration includes the distinction between the permeability of free space and relative permeability, with equations provided to illustrate the relationship between magnetic induction, magnetic field strength, and magnetization.
  • Participants discuss the implications of magnetic susceptibility in determining relative permeability and its effect on applied magnetic fields.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying views on the relationship between permeability and light, with some focusing on its magnetic properties while others emphasize its electromagnetic wave characteristics. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the specific factors influencing light permeability.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the potential ambiguity in definitions of permeability and its application across different contexts, as well as the complexity of the relationships between magnetic fields and light.

mustaffarel
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
What does a substance's permeability of light depend on?
 
Science news on Phys.org
The permeability of free space,or the permeability of a substance, is the parameter that determines how the substance effects a magnetic field. It does not just apply to light but to all magnetic fields
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: David Venancio
Is it because of visible light is a kind of electromagnetic wave?
 
Visible light is only a small part of the Electromagnetic wave spectrum, ranging from radio waves, up to X-rays and Gamma Rays, with visible light somewhere in the middle of the scale.

The parameter [tex]\mu_o[/tex] is the permeability of free space.
[tex]\mu_r[/tex] is the relative permeability (analogous to [tex]\epsilon_r[/tex])

It can be defined as [tex]B=\mu_0 (H+M)[/tex]

Where B is the magentic induction field, H is the magnetic field strength and M is the magnetisation across the sample.
or with some working:

[tex]B = \mu_0 \mu_r H[/tex]

Since [tex]M = \chi_m H[/tex]
and [tex]\mu_r = (1+\chi_m)[/tex]
([tex]\chi_m[/tex] is magnetic susceptibility)
relative permeability in a material is just some kind of a measure of how much of an applied magnetic field will be "used up" due to magnetisation in the material.

Also it is said that B is what you pay for, H is what you get.
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
13K
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
3K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
Replies
6
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
1K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K