Question
Describe the outcome if you attempt to produce a longitudinal electromagnetic wave.
Final Answer
This won't work. A transverse wave will be made perpendicular to the intended longitudinal direction.
Solution video
OpenStax College Physics for AP® Courses, Chapter 24, Problem 2 (Test Prep for AP® Courses)
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Video Transcript
This is College Physics Answers with Shaun Dychko. It is totally impossible to produce a longitudinal electromagnetic wave because what this diagram here shows is that whatever direction the electric field goes, it will automatically produce a magnetic field perpendicular to it. So as this electric field changes that change in electric field induces a perpendicular magnetic field and if you were to try and make a longitudinal electromagnetic wave by having this, you know, this electric field go upwards, you are not going to get a magnetic field going upwards it's all automatically going to go perpendicular to that. So you will have wave propagation perpendicular to whatever longitudinal direction you intended. So yeah... there we go!