Calculating the Magnetic Field & Poynting Vector of Light

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the amplitude of the magnetic field and the magnitude of the Poynting vector for light propagating through a glass medium with a refractive index of 1.5 and an electric field amplitude of 100 V/m. The relationship between the electric field (E) and magnetic field (B) is established through Maxwell's equations, specifically using the equation B(w,r) x ek = n(w) E(w,r). The Poynting vector is correctly identified as proportional to E²H², confirming the perpendicular nature of the fields in this context.

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  • Understanding of Maxwell's equations
  • Knowledge of electromagnetic wave propagation
  • Familiarity with the concept of refractive index
  • Basic principles of the Poynting vector
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Homework Statement


If the amplitude of the electric field of the light propagating through a glass whose refractive index is 1.5 is 100 V/m, what is the amplitude of the magnetic field?
What is the magnitude of the Poynting vector associated with this wave?

Homework Equations


Not sure for the first question and the second is \vec E \times \vec H if if I remember well.

The Attempt at a Solution


So the second question is easily answered when I know what is the worth the magnetic field. I really don't know any equation that relates the E field and the B field of a wave.
Maybe Maxwell's equation? This one in particular (using Gaussian units): \frac{\partial B}{\partial t}=-c \vec \nabla \times \vec E.
Or maybe I should write the solution to the wave equation of the light in the medium?
I'm not really sure how it would be. E(x,t)=E_0 \cos (\omega t + \vec k \cdot \vec x ) or something like that, I'm not sure.
That's a good problem, I wasn't aware one could get the B field from the E field in the wave of light.
Any tip?
 
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It might be something simple like that given an EM wave in a medium of index of refraction n, you can use

B(w,r) x ek = n(w) E(w,r).
 
And yes, you wrote the correct expression for the poynting vector. In a medium like that, the waves are still going to be perpendicular. It's really only in a waveguide and other special circumstances that this is not the case, so you can just use that the magnitude of the pointing vector is proportional to E^2 H^2
 
Ok thanks a lot for the replies.
Could you precise what are the variables w, r and e in the expression "B(w,r) x ek = n(w) E(w,r). "?
I'm guessing that k is a vector pointing in the sense of propagation of the wave. Also I never seen such an equation. Do you know a book in which the derivation is done?
 

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