Weber's electrodynamics is a theory of electromagnetism proposed by German physicist Wilhelm Eduard Weber in 1846. It was an early attempt to explain the relationship between electric and magnetic forces, and was later superseded by James Clerk Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism.
Weber's electrodynamics is based on a force law that is linear in both electric and magnetic fields, while Maxwell's theory is based on a non-linear relationship between these fields. Additionally, Weber's theory does not include the concept of electromagnetic waves, which is a fundamental aspect of Maxwell's theory.
There is very little experimental evidence that supports Weber's electrodynamics. Some early experiments seemed to support Weber's force law, but later experiments showed discrepancies that could not be explained by the theory. Ultimately, Maxwell's theory was able to explain these discrepancies and has been supported by numerous experiments.
Weber's electrodynamics is not considered a valid theory in modern physics, as it has been superseded by Maxwell's theory. However, it played an important role in the development of electromagnetism and paved the way for Maxwell's theory. Additionally, it provides insight into the history and evolution of scientific theories.
One major criticism of Weber's electrodynamics is that it does not incorporate the concept of relativity, which is essential for understanding electromagnetism at high speeds. Additionally, it does not account for energy conservation and does not accurately predict the behavior of electromagnetic fields in certain situations. These shortcomings ultimately led to the development of Maxwell's theory.