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Preferred term

electromagnetic field  

Definition

  • An electromagnetic field (also EM field or EMF) is a classical (i.e. non-quantum) field produced by moving electric charges. It is the field described by classical electrodynamics (a classical field theory) and is the classical counterpart to the quantized electromagnetic field tensor in quantum electrodynamics (a quantum field theory). The electromagnetic field propagates at the speed of light (in fact, this field can be identified as light) and interacts with charges and currents. Its quantum counterpart is one of the four fundamental forces of nature (the others are gravitation, weak interaction and strong interaction). The field can be viewed as the combination of an electric field and a magnetic field. The electric field is produced by stationary charges, and the magnetic field by moving charges (electric currents); these two are often described as the sources of the field. The way in which charges and currents interact with the electromagnetic field is described by Maxwell's equations (which also describes how time-varying field can produce other fields, and explains why electromagnetic radiation doesn't need any medium for propagation) and the Lorentz force law. (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_field)

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Entry terms

  • electromagnetic flux

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URI

http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/MDL-X1WFGJB6-W

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