Question

Which is the most important prediction to emerge from Maxwell's equations?

• A. Existence of magnetic waves
• B. Existence of electrical waves
• C. Existence of radio waves
• D. Existence of electromagnetic waves

Answer 1

Answer: (D)

The most important prediction to emerge from Maxwell's equations is the existence of electromagnetic waves, which are (coupled) time-varying electric and magnetic fields that propagate in space. The speed of the waves, according to these equations, turned out to be very close to the speed of light $\left(3\times 10^{8}m{s}^{-1}\right)$, obtained from optical measurements. This led to the remarkable conclusion that light is an electromagnetic waves.