WHY ELECTROMAGNETIC LIGHT DOESNOT REQUIRE A MEDIUM??

Question

WHY ELECTROMAGNETIC LIGHT DOESNOT REQUIRE A MEDIUM??

Answer 1

It's true that a classical mechanical wave is a disturbance in a medium, so there can't be such a wave without a medium. But EM waves are waves in the sense that they obey a wave equation, not in the narrower sense that they are a disturbance in a medium.

What is "waving" in an EM wave is the electric and magnetic fields. By Ampere's law, the oscillating electric field creates an oscillating magnetic field. And by Faraday's law, the oscillating mag field creates an oscillating electric field. So the two give rise to each other, propagating through space together.

Answer 2

That's the $10,000 dollar question.

The thinking has always been, that it is it's own medium.

If you can think up a better reason I'm sure physicists would like to hear it.

Answer 3

because, in space, when it's just traveling, and not reacting with anything, it acts like a particle.

Answer 4

it is electric and magnetic waves oscillation it does not require any medium