User:Mpatel/sandbox/Electromagnetic field
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An electromagnetic field is a physical field produced by electrically charged objects. It affects the behaviour of charges in the field and is also affected by them. The electromagnetic field extends indefinitely throughout space and describes the electromagnetic interaction, one of the four fundamental forces of nature.
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The electromagnetic field is studied extensively in theoretical physics and 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 (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 and the Lorentz Force Law.
From a classical viewpoint, the electromagnetic field is regarded as a smooth, continuous field, propagated in a wavelike manner,[citation needed] whereas from a quantum mechanical perspective, the field is quantised, being viewed as composed of photons.[citation needed]
James Clerk Maxwell discovered in the 19th century that disturbances in the electromagnetic field travel at the speed of light,[citation needed] thus suggesting that light is an electromagnetic wave. This led to deep insights into the nature of light, it's properties and applications thereof.[citation needed]