Electromagnetism: Encyclopedia II - Electromagnetism - Electric and magnetic fields

Electromagnetism - Electric and magnetic fields

It is often convenient to understand the electromagnetic field in terms of two separate fields: the electric field and the magnetic field. A non-zero electric field is produced by the presence of electrically charged particles, and gives rise to the electric force; this is the force that causes static electricity and drives the flow of electric charge (electric current) in electrical conductors. The magnetic field, on the other hand, can be produced by the motion of electric charges, or electric current, and gives rise to the magnetic force associated with magnets.

The term "electromagnetism" comes from the fact that the electric and magnetic fields generally cannot be described independently of one another. A changing magnetic field produces an electric field (this is the phenomenon of electromagnetic induction, which underlies the operation of electrical generators, induction motors, and transformers). Similarly, a changing electric field generates a magnetic field.

Because of this interdependence of the electric and magnetic fields, it makes sense to consider them as a single, theoretically coherent entity — the electromagnetic field. This unification, which was completed by James Clerk Maxwell, is one of the triumphs of 19th century physics. It had far-reaching consequences, one of which was the elucidation of the nature of light: as it turns out, what we think of as "light" is actually a propagating oscillatory disturbance in the electromagnetic field, i.e., an electromagnetic wave. Different frequencies of oscillation give rise to the different forms of electromagnetic radiation, from radio waves at the lowest frequencies, to visible light at intermediate frequencies, to gamma rays at the highest frequencies.

The theoretical implications of electromagnetism led to the development of special relativity by Albert Einstein in 1905.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Electric and magnetic fields", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki