Calculating the Magnetic Field & Poynting Vector of Light

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the amplitude of the magnetic field and the magnitude of the Poynting vector for light propagating through a glass medium with a given refractive index. The original poster expresses uncertainty about the relationships between the electric and magnetic fields in electromagnetic waves, particularly in a medium with a refractive index of 1.5.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the relationship between the electric field and magnetic field, with references to Maxwell's equations and potential wave equations. There is an exploration of how to derive the magnetic field from the electric field and the Poynting vector's expression.

Discussion Status

Participants are actively engaging with the problem, offering insights and clarifications about the relationships between the fields. Some have provided equations and concepts, while others seek further clarification on specific variables and references for deeper understanding.

Contextual Notes

The original poster is working within the constraints of a homework assignment, indicating a need for guidance without direct solutions. There is a mention of uncertainty regarding specific equations and their derivations, which suggests a potential gap in foundational knowledge that is being addressed through discussion.

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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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