A Faraday cage is an enclosure made of a conducting material that blocks external static and non-static electric fields from penetrating its interior. It works based on the principle that when an external electric field is applied to a conductor, the charges in the conductor rearrange themselves in such a way that they cancel the field’s effects inside the enclosure.
How It Works:
- When an electric field strikes the cage, free electrons in the conductive material move to counteract the field.
- This redistribution creates a field that cancels out the external field inside the cage.
- As a result, the interior remains unaffected, even if strong fields are present outside.
Applications:
- Protecting sensitive electronics from electromagnetic interference (EMI).
- Shielding rooms or equipment in labs where precise measurements are needed.
- Safety cabins in power stations or during lightning storms.
A Faraday cage doesn’t have to be solid metal—it can also be made from a mesh, as long as the holes are significantly smaller than the wavelength of the incident electromagnetic radiation.