This simulator shows a continuously moving uniform plane wave crossing a three-metre observation region. Change frequency, polarization and the relative permittivity of the surrounding dielectric, then inspect the orthogonal electric and magnetic field vectors and live probe traces as the wave travels.
• A real-time 3D scene of an ideal plane-wave launcher, teal electric-field vectors and a traveling field graph, violet magnetic-field vectors (B = x̂ × E / v), the uniform dielectric observation region, a movable crossed-field probe and a live oscilloscope, with home view, focus-selected-part, auto-rotate, expand and show/hide labels controls. • Six experiment controls: frequency (100–500 MHz), principal electric-field peak (5–100 V/m), relative permittivity (1–9), polarization (linear, elliptical, or circular), polarization-axis rotation (0–180°) and probe position (0–3 m). • Live metrics: wavelength, phase velocity, wave impedance, probe Ey/Ez/By/Bz, instantaneous and cycle-average energy flux, instantaneous energy density and oscillation period. • Playback controls: pause/resume, advance 0.1 ns, advance 1 ns, and four playback speeds (1 animation second = 1 ns, 10× and 100× slow motion, 10× faster). • A Curves & measurements tab with two live charts (probe component traces and the polarization orbit at the probe), the full set of governing wave equations and snapshot measurement readouts. • An Experiments tab with four guided fixtures (linear wave, circular polarization, slower dielectric wave, amplitude experiment) and a Model verification bench that runs independent deterministic checks against a fresh model without disturbing your live trial, plus a timestamped event log and a copyable trial report. • A Learn & assess tab with four guided lessons, a knowledge-check quiz with reset, and a written model-scope statement with a technical-background reference link.
Propagation runs along +x while the electric and magnetic fields lie in the transverse yz plane — their cross product E × H points along the direction of energy transport. The source sets frequency; in a uniform nonmagnetic dielectric, phase velocity is v = c/√εr and wavelength is λ = v/f. Raising relative permittivity in this lab slows the wave and shortens its wavelength throughout the region — it does not model a boundary crossing or reflection.
Polarization describes how the field moves at one point in space: a linear field oscillates along a fixed transverse axis, while elliptical and circular states use quadrature components. Circular polarization keeps a constant field magnitude even as each individual component changes with time.
Energy flux scales with the square of field amplitude, so doubling the electric-field amplitude quadruples mean energy flux. For the same principal-axis amplitude, circular polarization carries twice the mean flux of linear polarization because both quadrature components carry energy simultaneously.
This is an analytical uniform plane wave in a linear, lossless, nonmagnetic, nondispersive medium. It excludes antenna near-field effects, interfaces, reflection, attenuation and hardware calibration. Field traces are graphs in space, not particle paths, and the electric and magnetic field arrows use separate visual scales. One playback second represents one nanosecond of physical field time, and runs stop after 120 ns.
Frequency is set by the source and stays fixed. Relative permittivity changes phase velocity through v = c/√εr, and because wavelength equals v/f, a slower wave in a denser medium has a shorter wavelength at the same frequency.
Linear polarization oscillates along one fixed transverse axis. Elliptical polarization adds a smaller quadrature component (minor/major ratio 0.5), and circular polarization uses two equal quadrature components so the field vector rotates at constant magnitude.
For the same principal-axis peak amplitude, yes — circular polarization has twice the mean energy flux of linear polarization, because both quadrature field components carry energy rather than just one.
No. The three-metre observation region is a single uniform, lossless, nonmagnetic dielectric with no interface, reflection or absorption included — changing permittivity changes propagation speed throughout the whole region, not at a boundary.