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I am about to start learning about light, having some knowledge of electromagnetic waves. I know an accelerated charge produces changing electric field which produces a changing magnetic field and vice versa thus EM waves propagate in space. Now I have doubt when we start speaking of light as a wave we draw the common sine wave to represent the same.But what does that waving thing actually represent in physical sense? What is actually oscillating that we represent in light wave?![edit:Have a look at image.In the image you can see light waves represented as something like sine curve.I wanted to ask if light is an electromagnetic wave it should have two field oscillating-one electric and other magnetic, but as shown in image which is commonly found in books explaining interference etc. why we have only a single curve and what is that]?(https://i.stack.imgur.com/uRTNb.jpg)

Sharad
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    Does this answer your question? How does light oscillate? – sammy gerbil Jan 12 '20 at 10:02
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    Please search for answers before posting a question. – sammy gerbil Jan 12 '20 at 10:03
  • @Sammy gerbil I have included an image to describe my question and my question is certainly different from your refered one.Kindly have a look and hopefully answer the question. – Sharad Jan 14 '20 at 16:48
  • The simplest sketch of an electromagnetic wave is a mathematical graph plotting the strength of the transverse electric field at points along a line. – R.W. Bird Jan 14 '20 at 18:52
  • When we show light interfering do we mean it is actually the electric and magnetic field that is interfering? – Sharad Jan 14 '20 at 19:16
  • The electric field of one wave interferes with the electric field of another wave. Likewise for magnetic fields. Only one field (electric) is shown in interference because it has a much stronger effect than the magnetic field, and because it avoids making the diagram very complicated. – sammy gerbil Jan 15 '20 at 04:49

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