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electromagnetic field
physics
Learn about Michael Faraday's and James Clerk Maxwell's discovery of the electromagnetic field and wavesThe properties of electromagnetic fields and waves.
See all videos for this articleelectromagnetic field, a property of space caused by the motion of an electric charge. A stationary charge will produce only an electric field in the surrounding space. If the charge is moving, a magnetic field is also produced. An electric field can be produced also by a changing magnetic field. The mutual interaction of electric and magnetic fields produces an electromagnetic field, which is considered as having its own existence in space apart from the charges or currents (a stream of moving charges) with which it may be related. Under certain circumstances, this electromagnetic field can be described as a wave transporting electromagnetic energy.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Erik Gregersen.
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