Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Electromagnetic force is one of the fundamental forces in nature. It includes both electric and magnetic forces and is responsible for interactions between charged particles.
Related terms
Electric Field: An electric field is a region around a charged object where another charged object experiences an electric force.
Magnetic Field: A magnetic field is a region around a magnet or current-carrying wire where magnetic forces can be detected.
Coulomb's law describes the electrostatic interaction between charged objects and states that the force between them is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.