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cg0303
- 31
- 3
If I understand correctly, the concept of electric and magnetic fields originated with Faraday and was developed by reconceptualizing forces acting at-a-distance.
For example, the electric field concept was developed by looking at the force on a test charge in the presence of a source charge rather than looking at the force between two charges (i.e. Coulomb’s law). The magnetic field was similarly developed by looking at the force on iron filings or compass needles in the presence of a magnet or electric current.
But could Faraday have equally developed the concept of magnetic fields by looking at the force on one (test) electric current in the presence of another (source) electric current, per Ampere’s discovery of the attraction/repulsion between currents? If so, wouldn’t that make the configuration of magnetic fields only a convention, in somewhat the same way that positive/negative signs are just a historical convention due to Franklin?
For example, the electric field concept was developed by looking at the force on a test charge in the presence of a source charge rather than looking at the force between two charges (i.e. Coulomb’s law). The magnetic field was similarly developed by looking at the force on iron filings or compass needles in the presence of a magnet or electric current.
But could Faraday have equally developed the concept of magnetic fields by looking at the force on one (test) electric current in the presence of another (source) electric current, per Ampere’s discovery of the attraction/repulsion between currents? If so, wouldn’t that make the configuration of magnetic fields only a convention, in somewhat the same way that positive/negative signs are just a historical convention due to Franklin?