The energy density (per unit volume) of electromagnetic field is given by
圖片參考:
http://imgcld.yimg.com/8/n/HA05726829/o/701105260010713873451610.jpg
....................(1)
in Gaussian units. (For S.I. units, replace 4 pi by electric permittivity and B by cB.) This means that electromagnetic field carries energy of their own even in the absence of charge. For example, light is a transverse oscillation of electric and magnetic field, and the above equation tells the classical energy of light.
Examples in electric circuits are capacitors and inductors. Energy are stored in the devices in the form of electric and magnetic field. They gain or loss energy from or to the movement of electrons in the circuits. The transfer of energy is due to the coupling between field and charge.
圖片參考:
http://imgcld.yimg.com/8/n/HA05726829/o/701105260010713873451611.jpg
..................(2)
So there are (positive or negative) work done by the field to charge.
A theory of plasma could illustrate the transfer of energy between field and charge. Consider a uniform neutral gas of matter, where the positive charges (protons) are fixed and the negative ones (electrons) are free. So there is a uniform electric field and current density in the medium.
Let m and e be mass and charge of electron, n be the number density. The Ampere's law of Maxwell's equation is
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http://imgcld.yimg.com/8/n/HA05726829/o/701105260010713873451622.jpg
.....................(3)
where J = env is the current density, v is the velocity of electrons. (Here, we assume B=0.) The force equation tells us
圖片參考:
http://imgcld.yimg.com/8/n/HA05726829/o/701105260010713873451623.jpg
...............(4)
Combining (3,4), we have a harmonic motion
圖片參考:
http://imgcld.yimg.com/8/n/HA05726829/o/701105260010713873451624.jpg
............(5)
It has solution
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http://imgcld.yimg.com/8/n/HA05726829/o/701105260010713873451635.jpg
........(6)
The kinetic energy density of the moving charge is clearly
圖片參考:
http://imgcld.yimg.com/8/n/HA05726829/o/701105260010713873451636.jpg
...........(7)
Plug (6) into (1,7), and simplify using the plasma frequency (5). The energy densities for field and charge are
圖片參考:
http://imgcld.yimg.com/8/n/HA05726829/o/701105260010713873451647.jpg
So you can see that it is exactly like SHM. The energy keep switching between field and charge (like PE and KE). And the two add up to a constant.
Finally, even in vacuum where there is no charge, when there is field, there is energy. So de-energizing the field actually means removing the field.