What are Maxwell’s Equations of Electromagnetism?
Maxwell has combined the four equations that were discovered by Oersted, Ampere, Coulomb, and Faraday. These equations have two forms — one is the partial differential form and the other is the integral form.
These different laws of physics used by Maxwell are,
- Gauss’ law for electrostatics
- Gauss’ law for magnetism
- Faraday’s law of induction
- Ampère’s circuital law
Although not fundamentally discovered by Maxwell, he was the first to combine these to unify two apparently separate physical phenomena. He also applied some corrections to Ampère’s circuital law. Further, he was able to provide a concrete answer to the centuries long debate over the nature of light. Although he unified electricity and magnetism successfully, Maxwell did them in the form of 20 equations. It was Oliver Heaviside, who in 1884, used vector calculus to bring these down to the familiar 4 equation form.
Who was James Clerk Maxwell?
James Clerk Maxwell was one of the most important physicists of the nineteenth century. His creation of the electromagnetic theory and his discovery of the link between light and electromagnetic waves are his most well-known contributions.
Maxwell’s Equations in Electromagnetism
Maxwell’s Equations are a set of four equations proposed by mathematician and physicist James Clerk Maxwell in 1861 to demonstrate that the electric and magnetic fields are co-dependent and two distinct parts of the same phenomenon known as electromagnetism.
These formulas show how variations in the quantity or velocity of charges can impact magnetic and electric fields. Maxwell went on to establish that light is an electromagnetic wave caused by oscillations in the electric and magnetic fields. Maxwell’s equations give a mathematical model for the operation of all electronic and electromagnetic devices, ranging from power generation to wireless communication.
Table of Content
- What are Maxwell’s Equations of Electromagnetism?
- Maxwell’s First Equation
- Maxwell’s Second Equation
- Maxwell’s Third Equation
- Maxwell’s Fourth Equation
- Applications of Maxwell Equations