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Homework Statement
Write down the equations for the real electric and magnetic fields for a monochromatic plane wave of amplitude E(subscript 0), frequency omega, and phase angle phi=0, that is
a) traveling in the negative x direction and polarised in the z direction
b) traveling in the direction from the origin to the point (1,1,1), with polarisation parallel to the xz plane.
In each case, sketch the wave, and give the explicit Cartesian components of the propagation vector k and the polarisation n-hat.
The Attempt at a Solution
E(subscript Re)=cos(kz)(E(subscript 0 x) cos (omega t) i) + sin (kz)(E(subscript 0 x sin (omega t))
What difference does it make to the equation whether the wave is traveling in the negative x direction or the positive x direction?