The origin of Electromagnetic waves, and why they behave as they do

Physicists studying special relativity discovered that electric and magnetic fields aren’t separate phenomena but two components of one unified electromagnetic field.

Maxwell’s equations, formulated in the 1860s, first described this self-sustaining wave propagation mechanism that Einstein later connected to special relativity.

Astronomers, telecommunications engineers, and medical physicists utilize different portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to gamma rays, exploiting the unique properties each frequency range offers.

All objects possessing temperature emit electromagnetic radiation. The human body at 37 degrees Celsius constantly radiates infrared, detectable with thermal cameras though invisible to naked eyes.

Radio engineers use polarized antennas, 3D cinema technology exploits polarization differences, and optical scientists design polarizing filters to control light directionality invisible to human eyes.

Thomas Young’s 1801 double-slit experiment first demonstrated wave interference creating diffraction patterns, fundamentally establishing light’s wave nature.

Lord Rayleigh explained this phenomenon in 1871, showing how atmospheric scattering intensity depends on wavelength, causing the sky’s characteristic blue color.

Scientists studying light propagation in materials discovered that particles can exceed light’s apparent speed in media, producing Cherenkov radiation, currently used for detecting neutrinos.