Which came first - Electricity or Magnetism?

In summary, the conversation discusses the chicken or egg problem in relation to the discovery of electricity and magnetism. It is uncertain which phenomenon was first discovered, but it is believed that magnetism was known in ancient times while electrostatic effects may have been first demonstrated by Thales of Miletus in 600 B.C. It is now understood that electricity and magnetism are two manifestations of the same phenomenon. The first experimental connection between the two was made in 1820 by Oersted.
  • #1
kmarinas86
979
1
This is kind of like the chicken or the egg problem. I want to know if there is an established scientific opinion regarding this question.
 
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  • #2
Do you mean: which phenomenon was first discovered ?
Or which phenomenon "first arose" ?
The latter question is a bit strange of course, given that it is now seen as two different manifestations of one and the same phenomenon.
As to the former, I don't know. I know that magnetism was known in ancient times ; I have no idea if electrostatic effects (apart from lightning, but that was usually given some kind of divine interpretation) were known in antiquity.
 
  • #3
In pedagogy, electrostatics comes first since it is simpler than magnetostatics and far simpler than electrodynamics.
 
  • #4
The first known demonstration of electrostatics as a tool of man was by Thales of Miletus (~600 B.C.), who demonstrated that amber could attract lightweight objects after being rubbed with cat fur. It was long thought that this was simply a material property of amber, but in 1600, Gilbert demonstrated that many other materials showed the same behaviour, his work was the effective beginning of electrostatics (The word electron in Greek actually means amber). Magnetostatics may have first been used (in the form of a compass) by Chinese emperor Hoang-Ti in 2637 B.C. in pursuit of an enemy through foggy landscape. It is probably safe to say that magnetostatics preceeded electrostatics in this regard. The first experimental connection between the two was made by Oersted in 1820, who saw deflection of a compass needle when a current carrying wire was brought nearby. Electrodynamics was born shortly after when Ampere wrote down formalism to describe the force he observed between two current carrying wires in the vicinity of one another.

Modern Problems in Classical Electrodynamics C.A. Brau
 
  • #5
That is like asking which side of the coin gets stamped first - heads or tails? It's a single stamp and they occur simultaneously so it's not a "chicken or egg" thing. Electricity and magnetism are like two sides of the same coin.
 
  • #6
jarvis said:
The first known demonstration of electrostatics[...]

Thank you for this interesting contribution !
 
  • #7
I just make it up as I go Vanesch! :tongue2:
 

What is the relationship between electricity and magnetism?

The relationship between electricity and magnetism is known as electromagnetism. This refers to the phenomenon in which electric currents create magnetic fields, and changing magnetic fields induce electric currents.

Which came first - electricity or magnetism?

This question is a bit difficult to answer definitively because both electricity and magnetism have existed in some form since the beginning of the universe. However, it is generally accepted that magnets were discovered and studied before electricity, so magnetism can be considered the older of the two.

Can electricity exist without magnetism?

No, electricity cannot exist without magnetism. As mentioned before, electric currents create magnetic fields. Without the presence of a magnetic field, there can be no electricity.

What is the role of electromagnetic induction in the relationship between electricity and magnetism?

Electromagnetic induction is the process of creating an electric current by changing the magnetic field around a conductor. This is a crucial aspect of the relationship between electricity and magnetism, as it explains how electric currents can be induced by changing magnetic fields, and vice versa.

Why are electricity and magnetism often referred to as two sides of the same coin?

Electricity and magnetism are often referred to as two sides of the same coin because they are closely related and interconnected. As mentioned before, electric currents create magnetic fields, and changing magnetic fields induce electric currents. They are both forms of energy and are governed by similar principles and equations. This close relationship is what led to the unification of electricity and magnetism into the theory of electromagnetism by James Clerk Maxwell in the 19th century.

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