{"id":7254,"date":"2026-10-28T13:21:34","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T13:21:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/?p=7254"},"modified":"2026-10-28T13:21:35","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T13:21:35","slug":"electromagnetic-waves-neet-pyq-analysis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/electromagnetic-waves-neet-pyq-analysis\/","title":{"rendered":"Electromagnetic Waves NEET PYQ Analysis: Spectrum, Displacement Current and Wave Properties"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> An electromagnetic waves NEET PYQ analysis shows that NTA asks about one question almost every year from this short chapter, and it comes from four areas: the electromagnetic spectrum (order of waves, wavelength ranges, sources and uses), properties of EM waves (E\u2080 = cB\u2080, speed c = 1\/\u221a(\u03bc\u2080\u03b5\u2080), transverse nature), energy and momentum carried by the waves, and Maxwell&#8217;s displacement current. It is one of the quickest chapters in NEET Physics to finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Electromagnetic-Waves-NEET-PYQ-Analysis-Spectrum-Scene-1024x432.jpg\" alt=\"Electromagnetic waves NEET PYQ analysis showing a radio tower, satellite dish, microwave oven and a rainbow of visible light\" class=\"wp-image-7255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Electromagnetic-Waves-NEET-PYQ-Analysis-Spectrum-Scene-1024x432.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Electromagnetic-Waves-NEET-PYQ-Analysis-Spectrum-Scene-300x127.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Electromagnetic-Waves-NEET-PYQ-Analysis-Spectrum-Scene-768x324.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Electromagnetic-Waves-NEET-PYQ-Analysis-Spectrum-Scene-1536x648.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Electromagnetic-Waves-NEET-PYQ-Analysis-Spectrum-Scene.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This guide breaks down what NTA repeats, the tables to memorise and PYQ-pattern questions with answers. Before you start, get the bigger picture from our <a href=\"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/neet-2027-physics-preparation\">complete NEET Physics strategy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Want to test yourself first? <a href=\"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.com\/questions\/neet-previous-year-questions\/physics\/electromagnetic-waves\/questions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Solve the Electromagnetic Waves PYQs<\/strong><\/a> for free, then use this guide to fix the gaps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#why-this-chapter-is-a-quick-win\">Why This Chapter Is a Quick Win<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#electromagnetic-waves-neet-pyq-analysis-what-nta-repeats\">Electromagnetic Waves NEET PYQ Analysis: What NTA Repeats<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#displacement-current\">Displacement Current<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#properties-of-electromagnetic-waves\">Properties of Electromagnetic Waves<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#energy-intensity-and-momentum\">Energy, Intensity and Momentum<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#history-in-one-table\">History in One Table<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#the-electromagnetic-spectrum-the-table-to-memorise\">The Electromagnetic Spectrum: The Table to Memorise<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#worked-pyq-pattern-questions\">Worked PYQ-Pattern Questions<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#common-traps-in-this-chapter\">Common Traps in This Chapter<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#practise-every-electromagnetic-waves-pyq\">Practise Every Electromagnetic Waves PYQ<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#\u2753-faq\">\u2753 FAQ<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"why-this-chapter-is-a-quick-win\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why This Chapter Is a Quick Win<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Electromagnetic Waves is only a few pages in NCERT, yet it has nearly 50 past questions, most of them direct facts about the spectrum. One evening with the spectrum table is often enough to secure the mark. For chapter notes, use our <a href=\"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/electromagnetic-waves-class-12-notes\">Electromagnetic Waves class 12 notes<\/a>, and to see where it sits among other chapters, check the <a href=\"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/neet-2027-syllabus-chapter-weightage\">NEET 2027 chapter weightage<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The magnetic field ideas come from our <a href=\"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/magnetism-neet-pyq-analysis\">Magnetism PYQ analysis<\/a>, and the photon picture of light continues in our <a href=\"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/modern-physics-neet-pyq-analysis\">Modern Physics PYQ analysis<\/a>. If you mix up formulas across chapters, our tips to <a href=\"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/forget-physics-formulas-neet\">stop forgetting Physics formulas<\/a> will help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"electromagnetic-waves-neet-pyq-analysis-what-nta-repeats\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Electromagnetic Waves NEET PYQ Analysis: What NTA Repeats<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you sort the past NEET physics PYQs from this chapter, four question types cover nearly everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table class=\"has-white-background-color has-background has-border-color has-black-border-color\" style=\"border-width:2px\"><thead><tr><th>Question type<\/th><th>Frequency<\/th><th>What it tests<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Electromagnetic spectrum<\/td><td>Most frequent<\/td><td>Order by wavelength or frequency, sources, uses<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Properties of EM waves<\/td><td>Very frequent<\/td><td>E\u2080 = cB\u2080, speed, direction of E, B and propagation<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Energy, intensity and momentum<\/td><td>Regular<\/td><td>Energy shared equally by E and B, radiation pressure<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Displacement current<\/td><td>Regular<\/td><td>i_d = \u03b5\u2080 d\u03a6_E\/dt, Ampere\u2013Maxwell law<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"displacement-current\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Displacement Current<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While a capacitor charges, no conduction current flows across the gap between its plates, yet Ampere&#8217;s law needs a current there. Maxwell solved this with the <strong>displacement current<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>i_d = \u03b5\u2080 (d\u03a6_E\/dt)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is produced by a changing electric field, not by moving charges.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Inside a charging capacitor, the displacement current equals the conduction current in the wires.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Ampere\u2013Maxwell law<\/strong> adds it to Ampere&#8217;s law, so a changing electric field produces a magnetic field, just as a changing magnetic field produces an electric field.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"properties-of-electromagnetic-waves\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Properties of Electromagnetic Waves<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table class=\"has-white-background-color has-background has-border-color has-black-border-color\" style=\"border-width:2px\"><thead><tr><th>Property<\/th><th>What to remember<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Source<\/td><td>Accelerated (oscillating) charges; an oscillating charge of frequency \u03bd radiates EM waves of the same frequency<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Nature<\/td><td>Transverse: E and B are perpendicular to each other and to the direction of propagation<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Ratio of fields<\/td><td>E\u2080\/B\u2080 = c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Speed in vacuum<\/td><td>c = 1\/\u221a(\u03bc\u2080\u03b5\u2080) \u2248 3 \u00d7 10\u2078 m\/s<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Speed in a medium<\/td><td>v = 1\/\u221a(\u03bc\u03b5)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Medium<\/td><td>No material medium needed<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Direction of travel<\/td><td>Along E \u00d7 B<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The direction of propagation follows E \u00d7 B. If E is along x and B is along y, the wave travels along z.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"energy-intensity-and-momentum\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Energy, Intensity and Momentum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The energy of an EM wave is <strong>shared equally<\/strong> between the electric and magnetic fields: the average electric and magnetic energy densities are equal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Intensity:<\/strong> I = \u00bd c\u03b5\u2080E\u2080\u00b2<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Momentum:<\/strong> a wave delivering energy U carries momentum p = U\/c.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For a surface that absorbs completely, the momentum delivered is U\/c; for a perfect reflector, it is <strong>2U\/c<\/strong>. This momentum produces radiation pressure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"history-in-one-table\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">History in One Table<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table class=\"has-white-background-color has-background has-border-color has-black-border-color\" style=\"border-width:2px\"><thead><tr><th>Scientist<\/th><th>Contribution<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>James Clerk Maxwell<\/td><td>Displacement current; predicted EM waves and their speed<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Heinrich Hertz (1887)<\/td><td>First produced and detected EM waves<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Jagadish Chandra Bose<\/td><td>Produced EM waves of wavelength 5 mm to 25 mm<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Guglielmo Marconi<\/td><td>Sent EM waves over long distances (wireless communication)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"the-electromagnetic-spectrum-the-table-to-memorise\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Electromagnetic Spectrum: The Table to Memorise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>electromagnetic spectrum<\/strong>, in order of <strong>decreasing wavelength<\/strong> (increasing frequency):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table class=\"has-white-background-color has-background has-border-color has-black-border-color\" style=\"border-width:2px\"><thead><tr><th>Wave<\/th><th>Wavelength range<\/th><th>Produced by<\/th><th>Uses<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Radio waves<\/td><td>&gt; 0.1 m<\/td><td>Rapid acceleration of electrons in aerials<\/td><td>AM (530\u20131710 kHz), FM (88\u2013108 MHz), TV (54\u2013890 MHz), cellular phones (UHF)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Microwaves<\/td><td>0.1 m to 1 mm<\/td><td>Klystron, magnetron, Gunn diode<\/td><td>Radar, microwave ovens, aircraft navigation<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Infrared<\/td><td>1 mm to 700 nm<\/td><td>Vibration of atoms and molecules; hot bodies<\/td><td>Remote controls, physical therapy, night vision, greenhouse effect<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Visible light<\/td><td>700 nm to 400 nm<\/td><td>Electrons in atoms changing energy levels<\/td><td>Vision<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Ultraviolet<\/td><td>400 nm to 1 nm<\/td><td>The Sun; inner-shell electrons; special lamps<\/td><td>Killing germs in water purifiers, LASIK eye surgery<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>X-rays<\/td><td>1 nm to 10\u207b\u00b3 nm<\/td><td>High-energy electrons hitting a metal target<\/td><td>Medical diagnosis, cancer treatment<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Gamma rays<\/td><td>&lt; 10\u207b\u00b3 nm<\/td><td>Nuclear reactions, radioactive nuclei<\/td><td>Destroying cancer cells<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spectrum facts NTA likes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Microwave ovens<\/strong> work because the microwave frequency matches the resonant frequency of water molecules, which absorb the energy and heat the food.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Infrared<\/strong> is called heat waves; it keeps the earth warm through the greenhouse effect.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Most <strong>UV<\/strong> from the Sun is absorbed by the ozone layer. Welders wear special glass goggles to protect their eyes from the large amount of UV made by welding arcs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A simple way to remember the order of increasing frequency: <strong>radio, microwave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X-ray, gamma<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"worked-pyq-pattern-questions\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Worked PYQ-Pattern Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q1. Which shows the correct order of increasing wavelength?<\/strong> (a) Gamma, X-rays, UV, visible (b) Radio, microwave, infrared, visible (c) UV, gamma, X-rays, visible (d) Infrared, visible, microwave, radio<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Answer: (a).<\/strong> Gamma rays have the shortest wavelength, followed by X-rays, UV and visible light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q2. The magnetic field amplitude of an EM wave is 2 \u00d7 10\u207b\u2078 T. Find the electric field amplitude.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">E\u2080 = cB\u2080 = 3 \u00d7 10\u2078 \u00d7 2 \u00d7 10\u207b\u2078.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Answer: 6 V\/m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q3. Microwaves are produced by:<\/strong> (a) Hot bodies (b) Klystron or magnetron valves (c) Radioactive nuclei (d) Electrons hitting a metal target<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Answer: (b) Klystron or magnetron valves,<\/strong> and also Gunn diodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q4. The ratio of the energy carried by the electric field to that carried by the magnetic field in an EM wave is:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Answer: 1 : 1.<\/strong> The energy is shared equally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q5. Which radiation is used to kill germs in water purifiers?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Answer: Ultraviolet.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q6. A wave of energy U falls on a perfectly reflecting surface. The momentum delivered is:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Answer: 2U\/c.<\/strong> For a perfect absorber it would be U\/c.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"common-traps-in-this-chapter\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common Traps in This Chapter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Writing B\u2080 = cE\u2080 instead of E\u2080 = cB\u2080<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Saying EM waves are longitudinal<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mixing up the order of UV and X-rays, or infrared and microwaves<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Saying the electric field carries more energy than the magnetic field<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thinking displacement current comes from moving charges<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Using U\/c for a perfect reflector (it is 2U\/c)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"practise-every-electromagnetic-waves-pyq\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Practise Every Electromagnetic Waves PYQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This electromagnetic waves NEET PYQ analysis shows you where the marks are. Solving real past questions makes the spectrum automatic. Every Electromagnetic Waves previous year question is available chapter-wise, free:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc49 <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.com\/questions\/neet-previous-year-questions\/physics\/electromagnetic-waves\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Solve all Electromagnetic Waves NEET PYQs<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keep the spectrum table beside you for the first round, then solve the second round without it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"conclusion\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Electromagnetic Waves is one of the shortest and most predictable chapters in NEET Physics. Use this electromagnetic waves NEET PYQ analysis to master the spectrum, the properties of EM waves, energy and momentum, and the displacement current. Then practise the past questions until each answer comes without thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"\u2753-faq\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2753 FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q: How many questions come from Electromagnetic Waves in NEET?<\/strong> A: Usually about one question a year, most often on the electromagnetic spectrum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q: What is the most important topic in this chapter for NEET?<\/strong> A: The electromagnetic spectrum: the order of the waves, their wavelength ranges, how they are produced and what they are used for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q: What is displacement current?<\/strong> A: A current term, i_d = \u03b5\u2080 d\u03a6_E\/dt, that Maxwell added to Ampere&#8217;s law. It arises from a changing electric field, such as between the plates of a charging capacitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q: What is the relation between E\u2080 and B\u2080 in an EM wave?<\/strong> A: E\u2080 = cB\u2080, where c is the speed of light in vacuum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q: Which EM waves are used in radar and microwave ovens?<\/strong> A: Microwaves, with wavelengths from about 0.1 m to 1 mm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q: Where can I practise Electromagnetic Waves NEET PYQs for free?<\/strong> A: You can solve every Electromagnetic Waves previous year question chapter-wise for free using the practice links in this article.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Quick answer: An electromagnetic waves NEET PYQ analysis shows that NTA asks about one question almost every year from this short chapter, and it comes from four areas: the electromagnetic spectrum (order of waves, wavelength ranges, sources and uses), properties of EM waves (E\u2080 = cB\u2080, speed c = 1\/\u221a(\u03bc\u2080\u03b5\u2080), transverse nature), energy and momentum [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7255,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,2,70],"tags":[602,4506,4504,4503,4510,4505,4507,7,4008,13,2328,4509,4508],"class_list":["post-7254","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-study-tips","category-neet","category-physics","tag-class-12-physics","tag-displacement-current","tag-electromagnetic-spectrum","tag-electromagnetic-waves","tag-gamma-rays","tag-maxwell-equations","tag-microwaves","tag-neet-2027","tag-neet-chapter-wise-pyq","tag-neet-physics","tag-neet-pyq","tag-ultraviolet","tag-x-rays"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7254","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7254"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7254\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7256,"href":"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7254\/revisions\/7256"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7255"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7254"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7254"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ksquareinstitute.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7254"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}