Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2008 / ib / Paper 3 / 17B / ii / Solution

Substitute the monochromatic plane waves into the two divergence equations of Maxwell's equations. They become $ik{E}_{0z}=0$ and $ik{B}_{0z}=0$. For nonzero wavenumber,Thus both fields are transverse to the direction of propagation. The wave equation also gives the vacuum dispersion relation ${\omega }^2=c^2{k}^2$.