Fundamentals of Charged-Particle Motion

Abstract

This chapter discusses the fundamental physics, and describes how electromagnetic (EM) phenomena occur. Learning the physical foundations serves to build the confidence and skills to tackle real-world problems, whether one is an engineer, technician, or physicist. The many facets of electromagnetics are due to how waves behave at different frequencies and how materials react in different ways to waves of different frequency. Quantum physics states that electromagnetic waves are composed of packets of energy called photons. At higher frequencies, each photon has more energy. Photons of infrared, visible light, and higher frequencies have enough energy to affect the vibrational and rotational states of molecules and the electrons in orbit of atoms in the material. Photons of radio waves do not have enough energy to affect the bound electrons in a material. Moreover, at low frequencies, when the wavelengths of the EM waves are very long compared to the dimensions of the circuits being used, many approximations can be made. These low-frequency approximations determine the basic circuit theory.