Image talk:Light-wave.svg

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I know this is a popular representation of the oscillating electric and magnetic fields, but I think it might be wrong. Shouldn't the E field be at a maximum when the B field is at a minimum and vice versa? Not both at a maximum at the same time. —Preceding unsigned comment added by CallipygianSchoolGirl (talkcontribs) 01:26, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

E field is at a maximum when the B field is at a minimum only for electromagnetic standing wave and not for traveling electromagnetic wave. This common misconception occurs when one sees from the Maxwell's equations that changing E causes B and changing B causes E, but if one looks closer then one sees that E changing in time causes B changing in space and vice versa.
Hope this helps to understand why are em waves the way they are. :) --193.198.16.211 (talk) 10:35, 26 March 2008 (UTC)
CallipygianSchoolGirl is right, for EM waves the E and B fields have a 90degrees offset. Doesn't matter if the waves are standing or not. The E field is minimum when the B field is maximum. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Headbomb (talkcontribs) 14:31, 10 April 2008 (UTC)
Any other comments? If this image is wrong, and I think it might be, it *NEEDS* to be corrected or deleted. The page on photons used it pretty prominently. CallipygianSchoolGirl (talk) 04:39, 29 May 2008 (UTC)