Do electromagnetic waves lose energy as they increase their distance?

[mapa]

If electromagnetic waves loose energy as the increase their distance, is there an
equation that reflects the loss of energy?

 

[Nabeshin]

The wave itself does not lose energy, but since it necessarily spreads out, this will result in a smaller energy/area as the distance from the source increases.

 

[mapa]

Would converter the electromagnetic wave light conserve the waves energy since it is no longer spreading out?

 

[Studiot]

It's true that as the wave spreads out the energy density decreases.
So the further the receiver is from the source the lower the available energy density is.

In a pure vacuum the energy density decreases inversely as the square of the distance from the source. This is known as the inverse square law. But none is actually lost.

But it also depends upon the medium the EM wave is traveling through and on the frequency of the EM wave itself. Some frequencies will interact with some transmission mediums and be attenuated or changed to other frequencies.

There is no simple equation, applicable to all EM frequencies, to apply. We often use an attenuation coefficient for a small range of frequencies. This has appears as a ratio not a linear relationship.

 

[sardar]

I can confirm that electromagnetic waves do lose energy as they increase their distance. This phenomenon is known as the inverse square law, which states that the intensity of an electromagnetic wave decreases with the square of the distance from its source. This means that the further the wave travels, the weaker it becomes.

There is indeed an equation that reflects this loss of energy, known as the inverse square law equation:

I = P / (4πr²)

where I is the intensity of the wave, P is the power of the source, and r is the distance from the source. As we can see, the intensity decreases as the distance from the source increases, reflecting the loss of energy.

It is important to note that this equation assumes that there are no obstructions or other factors that could impact the wave's energy. In reality, there may be other factors at play, such as absorption or reflection, which could also affect the energy of the wave as it travels.

In conclusion, electromagnetic waves do lose energy as they increase their distance, and the inverse square law equation is one way to mathematically represent this phenomenon.