Step 2

To recognize the electrodynamic and waves applications

Group 21

Student name

Jimy Alejandro Tobar

Selected item 2.

“UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL ABIERTA Y A DISTANCIA – UNAD”

School of Basic Sciences, Technology and Engineering

Electromagnetic Theory and Waves

2019
 Introduction

The applications of Maxwell's equations allow the explanation of many physical phenomena that
occur in the propagation of electromagnetic waves. That is why in this learning step we study
some of the most important parameters when studying these waves, all this through the
conceptualization and the development of theoretical exercises.
 Developed activity (consolidate)

1. Explain the concept of "loss tangent" applied to electromagnetic wave

propagation media, and indicate how it is calculated.
Waves that propagate in a medium other than vacuum experience certain losses
due to absorption in the medium. If the propagation is in the atmosphere, the
absorption losses are small. On the other hand, if they are in a conductive medium
such as salt water, ionized gas, or metallic medium, the losses can be very high.
The effect of the new terms of loss is to attenuate the propagating wave, because
energy is removed from the wave to provide the loss by ohmic heating in the
medium.
Therefore, there are two types of loss mechanisms that attenuate a wave. The first
occurs when the dielectric is slightly conductive. The second, when energy
dissipates in the course of polarization processes, even though the conductivity is
zero (the dipoles experience friction in their movements back and forth in a
sinusoidal field, extracting energy from the field). Since both loss mechanisms
generate heat, each can be represented by a conductivity σ. Complex permittivity
can now be generalized to reflect conduction and polarization losses.
𝜎
𝜀 ∗ = 𝜀 ′ − 𝑗𝜀 ′′ − 𝑗
𝜔
Where 𝜀 ′ /𝜀0 is the dielectric constant of the material and the effective total
conductivity is
𝜎𝑒𝑓 = 𝜎 + 𝜔𝜀 ′′

The relationship of the conduction current to the displacement in the dielectric with
losses is called loss tangent or dissipation factor:
𝜎𝑒𝑓 𝜔𝜀 ′′
tan 𝜙 = = 𝜎 +
𝜔𝜀 ′ 𝜔𝜀 ′
The relationship between the conduction current and the displacement current in a
specific medium is constant 𝜎/𝜔𝜀 whose value depends on the parameters of the
medium and the applied signal frequency.
 Cálculo de la tangente de pérdidas de un medio.
Calculate the loss tangent of dry soil at a frequency of 10kHz.
𝑆𝑚
The dry soil parameters are: 𝜎 = 10−4 , 𝜀𝑟 = 3
𝑚

So:
𝜎 10−4
tan 𝜙 = = = 60
𝜔𝜀 2𝜋 × 104 × 3 × 1 × 10−9
36𝜋
Which gives an angle of losses of:
𝜙 = tan−1(60) = 89°

2. According to the "tangent of losses", how can the means of propagation be

classified?
The higher the angle of losses, the greater the current component will be compared to
the polarization or displacement current, that is, the conductor is the medium.
This observation makes it possible to establish a basic classification for media based
on the tangent of losses in the following way:
 Perfect dielectrics: tan 𝜙 = 0, 𝜙 = 0.
𝜋
 Perfect drivers: tan 𝜙 → ∞, 𝜙 = 2 .
 Good insulators: tan 𝜙 → 0+ , 𝜙 = 0+ .
𝜋
 Good drivers: tan 𝜙 → ∞, 𝜙 = 2 .
𝜋
 Dissipative dielectrics: 0 < 𝜙 < 2 .

3. What concept does each of the means of propagation defined in the previous
point have?

Perfect dielectrics: they do not present conduction current, therefore, they do not
have losses due to Joule effect.
Perfect conductors: they do not present polarization current, therefore, they do not
have capacitive effects or load accumulation.
Good insulators: they present conduction current and have losses due to Joule
effect, but this effect is almost negligible compared to the capacitive effect, they are
also called "low loss dielectrics".
Good conductors: they present polarization current, therefore, they have capacitive
or load accumulation effects, but the conduction current and Joule losses are much
more significant.
Dissipative dielectrics: they have both effects and none is negligible compared to
the other.
4. On what does the propagation velocity of an electromagnetic wave depend?
What is the relationship between the speed of propagation and the refractive
index of a medium?
The phase velocity of electromagnetic waves depends exclusively on the
electromagnetic properties (permittivity and permeability) of the medium in which they
propagate and not on the relative displacement between observers, which clearly
violates the laws of mechanics known.
1
𝑣𝑝 =
√𝜇𝜀
The refractive index of a substance is the ratio between the speed of light in vacuum
and the phase velocity of an electromagnetic signal in a specific medium. It is
represented by the letter n.
𝑐
𝑛=
𝑣𝑝

Because the phase velocity in any medium is less than the speed of light in a vacuum,
the refractive index of a substance is always an amount greater than or equal to 1.
5. What is the penetration depth of an electromagnetic wave in a medium and how
can I calculate it?
From the wave equation of the electric field, it can be deduced that the field
decreases exponentially when it enters a medium with losses. The attenuation
constant gives a measure of the decay rate of the signal amplitude.
 |𝐸| = 𝐸𝑥0 𝑒 −𝛼𝑥
𝑑|𝐸|
= −𝛼𝐸𝑥0 𝑒 −𝛼𝑥
𝑑𝑥
Since the signal decays exponentially, it must be expected that there is a limit at
which signal is practically imperceptible, and that limit must be directly related to the
attenuation constant.
Conclusiones
Exercises (one per student)
1. Student name:

A dissipative medium has the following parameters:

𝜀𝑟 = 3.5, 𝜇𝑟 = 2.2 and 𝜎 = 1.9 𝑆/𝑚
Find the wavelength and the amount of wavelengths that will penetrate a
10MHz signal.

2. Student name: Jimy Alejandro Tobar

In a medium with the following characteristics, 𝜀𝑟 = 2.5, 𝜇𝑟 = 1.3 and 𝜎 = 1.8𝑥10−3 𝑆/𝑚
find these parameters for a 1GHz signal:
a. Loss tangent.
𝜎 1.8 × 10−3
tan 𝜙 = = = 0.013
𝜔𝜀 2𝜋 × 109 × 2.5 × 1 × 10−9
36𝜋

The relationship between the conduction current and the displacement current in a
specific medium The relationship between the conduction current and the displacement
current in a specific medium.
b. Propagation constant.

𝛾 = √𝑗𝜔𝜇(𝜎 + 𝑗𝜔𝜖)

13 9 1 5
𝛾 = √𝑗 × 2𝜋 × 109 × 4𝜋 × 10−7 × × ( × 10−3 + 𝑗 × 2𝜋 × 109 × × 10−9 × )
10 5 36𝜋 2
 1300 234
𝛾 = √𝜋 2 (− + 𝑗)
9 125

𝛾 = 0.2446618089674 + 37.7580373430951𝑗
It determines how the waves propagate in the medium, its real part determines
how much the wave is attenuated and the imaginary part determines the phase
changes when the wave propagates.
c. Phase velocity.
𝑟𝑎𝑑
𝜔 109 𝑠 𝑚
𝑣𝑝 = = = 26.48 × 106
𝛽 37.76 𝑟𝑎𝑑 𝑠
𝑚
𝑚
The wave in this medium spreads with a speed of 26.48 × 106 𝑠 .

d. Wavelength.
2𝜋 2𝜋 𝑟𝑎𝑑
𝜆= = = 0.167𝑚
𝛽 𝑟𝑎𝑑
37.76 𝑚

Entre cresta y cresta de la onda que se está propagando hay una longitud de 16
cm.
e. Index of refraction.
𝑚
𝑐 3 × 108 𝑠
𝑛= = = 11.33
𝑣𝑝 26.48 × 106 𝑚
𝑠
The speed of light reduces 11.33 times its speed in the middle of the example.
Explain the meaning of each found value.

3. Student name:

An open medium has the following electromagnetic characteristics 𝜀𝑟 = 5.5, 𝜇𝑟 =

1.9 and 𝜎 = 14.6𝑥10−6 𝑆/𝑚
 Find the power transmitted by a 200MHz signal with a maximum electric field of
127V/m and find the skin depth of the signal.

4. Student name:

For a medium with the same electromagnetic characteristics than the third
problem, find the losses per length unit for a 400MHz signal. If the original signal
has an electric field of 120Vrms/m. Find the losses in watts when the signal travels
20m in the medium.

5. Student name:

For a 400MHz signal, traveling in seawater find the attenuation per length unit.
How long does the signal have to travel, in order to have an attenuation greater
than 3dB?

Conclusions (one per student)

Conclusion 1: Student name 21/5000

(one per student)
Conclusion 2: Jimy Alejandro Tobar

Plane waves are good approximations to real waves in may practical situations. Radio waves at
large distances from the transmitter, or from diffracting objects, have negligible curvature and
are well represented by plane waves. Much of optics utilizes the plane-waves approximation.
More complicated electromagnetic wave patterns can be considered as superposition of plane
waves, so in this sense the plane waves are the basic building blocks for all wave problems.
Even when that approach is not followed, the basic ideas of propagation, reflection and
refraction, which are met simply here, help the understanding of the waves problems.

Conclusion 3: Student name

Conclusion 4: Student name

Conclusion 5: Student name

...
The conclusions should be written with their own words and should focus on the concepts
explored, learned, discovered and practiced in the development of the activity, it is suggested
to present a conclusion by topic, the result of learning obtained as evidence of conceptual
assimilation.

To obtain a good writing it is suggested to read the written several times, correcting and
adjusting the text until obtaining a clear and coherent postulate. Avoid superficiality and
simplicity.

References (one per student)

Bibliography 1: Student name

Bibliography 2: Jimy Alejandro Tobar

Chen, W. (2005). The Electrical Engineering Handbook. Boston: Academic Press. 513-519.
Retrieved
from http://bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?d
irect=true&db=nlebk&AN=117152&lang=es&site=ehost-live&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_513

Bibliography 3: Student name

Bibliography 4: Student name

Bibliography 5: Student name

Examples:

Ebook.
Surname, A. (Year). Title of the book. (pp. xx-xx). Country: Editorial. Retrieved from http: //
...

Chapter of an electronic book.

Surname, A., and Surname, B. (Year). Title of the chapter or the entry. Title of the book (pp.
Xx-xx). City, Country: Editorial. Retrieved from http: // ...

Internet video.
Surname, N. (Year). Title of the video Video server [Video]. Retrieved from http: // ...