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 forces refer to the forces that occur between electrically charged particles. These forces can attract or repel each other and are responsible for many everyday phenomena, such as magnets sticking to metal objects.
Related terms
Electric Field: An electric field is a region around an electrically 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 another magnet or moving charge experiences a magnetic force.
Coulomb's law states that the force between two charged objects is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.