150k views
3 votes
An excited hydrogen atom releases an electromagnetic wave to return to its normal state. You use your futuristic dual electric/magnetic field tester on the electromagnetic wave to find the directions of the electric field and magnetic field. Your device tells you that the electric field is pointing in the negative y direction and the magnetic field is pointing in the negative z direction. In which direction does the released electromagnetic wave travel?

a. +x direction
b. +y direction
c. +z direction
d. −z direction

User Jholloman
by
3.6k points

1 Answer

2 votes

Answer: Option a.

Step-by-step explanation:

For an idealistic electromagnetic wave, both magnetic and electric fields are perpendicular to the travel direction of the wave.

Here we know that the electric field points to negative y-direction, and the magnetic field points to negative z-direction.

Then the wave must be traveling in the x-axis direction.

Then the correct option is a; +x direction (this is the only option that has the x-direction, then it is easy to identify it as the correct option)

User Anshu
by
3.9k points