PX284 - R2 - poynting vector
- the continuity equation:
where,
- from newton's third law:
- the poynting vector:
- the energy density:
and therefore - the magnitude:
is frequency dependent, therefore, so is
- average over time:
- this is useful when considering waves of different frequencies, eg: sunlight:
- the impedance of air
- so,
- energy flux implies a momentum flux / radiation pressure:
- the momentum flux, ie. a pressure:
- eg: sunlight on earth:
Nm - radiation pressure can be significant
- large area, eg: solar sails
- more luminous radiation, eg: in very massive stars, the effect of
can balance gravity, limiting the size and power of star
in a current carrying conductor
- consider a cylindrical with a cross-sectional area,
, carrying a current in the same direction as - from the right hand rule,
loops around the wire , the pointing vector always points into the wire , , so, the energy that enters the wire:
- this is equal to the energy dissipated in the wire