What are the E and H fields in an EMF wave in the far field?

What are the E and H fields in an EMF wave in the far field?

• A. They have mass and charge.
• B. They are at 90-degree angles and have no mass or charge.
• C. They are parallel.
• D. They oscillate in phase with mass.

Answer: (B)

In the far field, electromagnetic waves are transverse. That means the electric and magnetic fields are perpendicular to each other and both perpendicular to the direction the wave is traveling. They carry energy, but they aren’t particles with mass or charge—they are field oscillations. The statement that the fields are at right angles to each other and have no mass or charge captures these essential features: the geometry is orthogonal, and these are massless field components rather than material particles. (In a full picture, E and H are also in phase and the energy flow is along the propagation direction, but the core point here is their perpendicular arrangement and massless nature.)

In the far field, electromagnetic waves are transverse. That means the electric and magnetic fields are perpendicular to each other and both perpendicular to the direction the wave is traveling. They carry energy, but they aren’t particles with mass or charge—they are field oscillations. The statement that the fields are at right angles to each other and have no mass or charge captures these essential features: the geometry is orthogonal, and these are massless field components rather than material particles. (In a full picture, E and H are also in phase and the energy flow is along the propagation direction, but the core point here is their perpendicular arrangement and massless nature.)