Poynting vector
Vector de Poynting
- Date
- 1884 · confidence high
- Place
- Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
- Credited to
- John Henry Poynting
- Field
- Cosmos & Earth
What was discovered
From Maxwell's equations, Poynting derived an expression measuring the direction and magnitude of the energy flow of an electromagnetic field, the cross product of the electric and magnetic fields. The result made it possible, for the first time, to calculate how and where energy "travels" in electromagnetic radiation, including light.
What it led to
- Theory of electromagnetic energy transport
- Antenna engineering and radio communication