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===== Visualizing Electromagnetic Plane Waves: Instructor's Guide =====

==== Main Ideas ====

  * Representations of plane waves

==== Students' Task ====
//Estimated Time: //



==== Prerequisite Knowledge ====


==== Props/Equipment ====

  * [[:Props:start#maple|Computers with Mathematica/Maple]]  

==== Activity: Introduction ====

Students visualize electromagnetic plane waves using either a Mathematica (or Maple) worksheet by exploring the electric and magnetic field vectors of a given electromagnetic plane wave by choosing the wave vector $\vec{k}$ themselves. This computer visualization shows all of the aspects of electromagnetic plane waves--the electric and magnetic field vectors at planes in space specified by a chosen wave vector, $\vec{k}$.

==== Activity: Student Conversations ====


==== Activity: Wrap-up ====

The whole class wrap-up discussion summarizes how the electric field, magnetic field, and wave vectors are related, allowing students to visualize what is planar about electromagnetic plane waves.

==== Extensions ====

This activity is part of the [[whitepapers:sequences:planewaves|Plane Wave Sequence]]. The following activities are included within this sequence:

  * Preceding activities:
    * [[swbq:vcsw:vfswdotdef|Recall the Dot Product]]: This small whiteboard question prompts students to recall something they recall regarding the dot product.
    * [[courses:activities:emact:emplanewave|Visualizing Plane Waves]]: In this small group activity, students calculate $\vec{k}\cdot\vec{r}$ for a given $\vec{k}$ for each point on a grid and then connect points with constant value of $\vec{k}\cdot\vec{r}$.
    * [[courses:activities:emact:emscalarplanewave|Scalar Plane Waves]]: This computer visualization activity uses color to represent various plane waves chosen by a particular wave vector $\vec{k}$ in three-dimensions.

  * Follow-up activity:
    * [[courses:activities:emact:emplanewavecompare|Comparing Representations of Plane Waves]]: This activity can be used as a homework problem or as a small group activity where students analyze multiple representations of plane waves, noting which features are present and which are ignored in each representation.