What is the difference between electric field and magnetic field

  • Thread starter Lizwi
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  • #1
Lizwi
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What is the difference between electric field and magnetic field
 

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  • #2
Muphrid
834
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From a special relativistic perspective, nothing--they're just different aspects of the same combined EM field, components that arise from different kinds of currents.

I suspect this isn't the answer that would help you most, though. Perhaps you have a more specific question in mind?
 
  • #3
dydxforsn
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What is the difference between electric field and magnetic field

[tex]\nabla \circ \vec{E} = \frac{\rho}{\epsilon_{0}}[/tex]
[tex]\nabla \times \vec{E} = -\frac{{\partial}{\vec{B}}}{{\partial}{t}}[/tex]
vs.
[tex]\nabla \circ \vec{B} = 0[/tex]
[tex]\nabla \times \vec{B} = \mu_{0} \vec{J} + \mu_{0} \epsilon_{0} \frac{{\partial}{E}}{{\partial}{t}}[/tex]

heh, sorry, I couldn't resist..
 
  • #4
cragar
2,552
3


classically electric fields are caused by charge and magnetic fields are caused by moving charges in the static case. and if I have a time-varying E or B field they can induce the other field. And my relative motion with some stationary charge I could see a B field in my frame or an E field depending on the configuration.
 
  • #5
sanjib ghosh
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Originally Posted by Lizwi View Post

What is the difference between electric field and magnetic field
......
vs.

heh, sorry, I couldn't resist..

This is not the complete story, please include Lorentz Force equation. To make difference
between E and B, it is very important to remember how do they interact with some particle, that is the only way to know about them( E or B).
 
  • #6
cragar
2,552
3


as sanjib ghosh is getting at. The E field will affect a charged particle at rest by a B field will not cause a charged particle at rest to move.
 

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