Did I Calculate the Correct Derivative to Validate Faraday's Law?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on validating Faraday's Law through the calculation of the negative time derivative of the magnetic field, represented as $$-\frac{\partial B}{\partial t} = k~\text x~E_0~\text{sin}(k \cdot r - \omega t + \phi)$$. The user encountered difficulties with the curl of the electric field, specifically in demonstrating that it equates to the negative time derivative of the magnetic field. After correcting the sign in their calculations, they successfully resolved the issue, highlighting the importance of accurate sign management in derivative calculations.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Faraday's Law of Electromagnetic Induction
  • Familiarity with vector calculus, particularly curl and cross product
  • Knowledge of sinusoidal functions and their derivatives
  • Proficiency in LaTeX for mathematical expressions
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the derivation of Faraday's Law in electromagnetic theory
  • Learn about vector calculus operations, focusing on curl and divergence
  • Explore the relationship between electric and magnetic fields in electromagnetic waves
  • Practice LaTeX formatting for complex mathematical expressions
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This discussion is beneficial for physics students, electrical engineers, and anyone studying electromagnetic theory, particularly those focusing on the mathematical foundations of Faraday's Law and vector calculus.

Blanchdog
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Homework Statement
Suppose that an electric field is given by ##E(r, t) = E_0 \text{cos}(k \cdot r - \omega t + \phi) ##, where ##k \perp E_0## and ##\phi## is a constant phase. Show that
$$B(r, t) = \frac{k~\text{x}~E_0}{\omega} \text{cos}((k \cdot r - \omega t + \phi)$$ is consistent with Faraday's Law.
Relevant Equations
Faradays Law: $$\nabla~\text x~E = -\frac{\partial B}{\partial t}$$
I've calculated the negative time derivative of B(r, t) as: $$-\frac{\partial B}{\partial t} = k~\text x~E_0~\text{sin}(k \cdot r - \omega t + \phi)$$ The cross product can be easily expanded, I'd just rather not do the LaTeX for if I can avoid it.

The Curl of the electric field (##\nabla~\text{x}~ E##) is giving more trouble though. I should end up with a sine wave (or a cosine offset by pi/2) but as best I can tell the curl doesn't affect the stuff within the cosine at all since k and r are dotted together into a scalar. How do I show that the curl of the electric field is equal to the result of the negative time derivative of of the magnetic field above, or did I make a mistake in calculating that derivative?
 
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Blanchdog said:
as best I can tell the curl doesn't affect the stuff within the cosine at all
As a warmup exercise, calculate ##\frac{\partial}{\partial x} (\mathbf k \cdot \mathbf r)##.
 
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Blanchdog said:
I've calculated the negative time derivative of B(r, t) as: $$-\frac{\partial B}{\partial t} = k~\text x~E_0~\text{sin}(k \cdot r - \omega t + \phi)$$
Check the signs
 
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That was very helpful, I was able to solve it once I fixed the sign of the sine and saw the pattern of the derivatives I was able to do after your warm up.
 
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