The link between electricity and magnetism

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Hey everyone,
I have a few questions. What is the link between electricity and magnetism? Why would moving electrons(current) create a magnetic field? Why does a moving magnetic field induce a current in a conductor?

Thanks for responces.

 

[Xezlec]

Hey everyone,
I have a few questions. What is the link between electricity and magnetism? Why would moving electrons(current) create a magnetic field? Why does a moving magnetic field induce a current in a conductor?

Wow! *head explodes*

This is an extremely good question, and fun to answer at whatever level you intended it. If you're just asking exactly how electromagnetics behave, I would answer by talking about Maxwell's equations, explaining that changing electric fields produce magnetic fields and vice versa, and so on.

If you're asking, at a slightly more philosophical level, why electricity and magnetism are related by a small set of simple equations, I would talk about Einstein and special relativity and show how electricity and magnetism are in fact exactly the same force, looked at from different points of view (but this requires talking about time dilation and things like that).

If you're asking, at a very philosophical level, why electromagnetism "is", and why these formulas would happen to work out this way in a universe, I would suggest that someone else talk to you about field theories, and symmetries, and stuff I know little about.

Please choose, but choose wisely.

 

[Ahmed Abdullah]

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=165190
Hope that, I helped you.

 

[rbj]

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=165190
Hope that, I helped you.

drilling into that thread gets you to this thread:

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=1260570#post1260570

which is a thought experiment that, although not general in setup, might give you an idea why electrostatic force alone added to special relativity, results in the magnetic force action as seen through a non-relativistic lens.