Which of the following are the characteristics of electromagnetic wave

Which of the following are the characteristics of electromagnetic waves ?

  • They are elastic waves.
  • They can also move in vacuum.
  • They have electric and magnetic components which are mutually perpendicular.
  • They move with a speed equal to 3 lakh meters per second.

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

1, 2, 3 and 4
1, 2 and 4 only
2 and 3 only
3 and 4 only
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2019
Statement 1 is incorrect because electromagnetic waves are not elastic waves; they do not require a medium for propagation. Statement 4 is incorrect as electromagnetic waves move with a speed of approximately 3 x 10^8 meters per second (speed of light), which is 3 lakh *kilometres* per second, not 3 lakh meters per second. Statements 2 and 3 correctly describe characteristics of electromagnetic waves: they can travel through a vacuum, and their electric and magnetic field components are mutually perpendicular.
Electromagnetic waves are transverse waves consisting of oscillating electric and magnetic fields that propagate through space at the speed of light, even in a vacuum. They do not require a material medium, unlike mechanical waves (like sound or elastic waves). The electric and magnetic fields are perpendicular to each other and to the direction of wave propagation.
The speed of electromagnetic waves in a vacuum is a fundamental constant, denoted by ‘c’, approximately 299,792,458 meters per second, often rounded to 3 x 10^8 m/s or 300,000 km/s (3 lakh km/s). The spectrum of electromagnetic waves includes radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays, and gamma rays, all differing in wavelength and frequency but sharing these fundamental characteristics.
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