History of electromagnetic theory

<p>The history of electromagnetic theory begins with ancient measures to understand <a href="/facts/Atmospheric_electricity/15aNFMpX">atmospheric electricity</a>, in particular <a href="/facts/Lightning/dLTuxz8n">lightning</a>. People then had little understanding of electricity, and were unable to explain the phenomena. Scientific understanding and research into the nature of electricity grew throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries through the work of researchers such as <a href="/facts/Andr%C3%A9-Marie_Amp%C3%A8re/qk01uas1">André-Marie Ampère</a>, <a href="/facts/Charles-Augustin_de_Coulomb/T4EEdFIq">Charles-Augustin de Coulomb</a>, <a href="/facts/Michael_Faraday/NDcc3lyt">Michael Faraday</a>, <a href="/facts/Carl_Friedrich_Gauss/f4eSMBD7">Carl Friedrich Gauss</a> and <a href="/facts/James_Clerk_Maxwell/jtYyze61">James Clerk Maxwell</a>.
</p><p>In the 19th century it had become clear that  <a href="/facts/Electricity/hNC8D65W">electricity</a> and <a href="/facts/Magnetism/eo75vApl">magnetism</a>  were related, and their theories were unified: wherever charges are in motion electric current results, and magnetism is due to electric current. The source for <a href="/facts/Electric_field/tt4MooBs">electric field</a> is <a href="/facts/Electric_charge/xxsBfmlB">electric charge</a>, whereas that for <a href="/facts/Magnetic_field/Ta8Ev588">magnetic field</a> is <a href="/facts/Electric_current/Dc1xdnUX">electric current</a> (charges in motion).
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History of electromagnetic theory open-in-new

History of electromagnetic theory