Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
James Clerk Maxwell was a 19th-century physicist who formulated the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation. His equations describe how electric and magnetic fields propagate, interact, and influence each other.
5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test
Maxwell's equations consist of four partial differential equations that form the foundation of classical electromagnetism.
These equations demonstrate that electric and magnetic fields travel through space as waves at the speed of light.
Maxwell's work unified previously separate theories of electricity and magnetism into a single theoretical framework.
His equations predict the existence of electromagnetic waves, which include visible light, radio waves, X-rays, etc.
Maxwell introduced the concept of the displacement current, which accounts for changing electric fields in a vacuum.
The range of all types of electromagnetic radiation from radio waves to gamma rays.
Speed of Light: The constant speed at which light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation travel in a vacuum (approximately $3 \times 10^8$ meters per second).
Electric Field: A region around a charged particle where an electric force is exerted on other charged particles.