A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field was the third of James Clerk Maxwell's papers concerned with electromagnetism. The theory was the first paper in which Maxwell's equations appeared. The concept of displacement current was introduced, so that it became possible to derive equations of electromagnetic wave. According to the comprehension of the major trend for the fundamental equations of electromagnetic fields, electromagnetic potential is not explicitly involved. In his original paper, the equations are compiled to two sets.

Maxwell's equations

Maxwell's 1865 formulation was in terms of 20 equations in 20 variables, and, in 1873, he attempted a quaternion formulation. Quaterions have a vector and a scalar part and have a higher topology than vector and tensor analysis. The theory unifies two kinds of force - the electric and the magnetic. The dynamical theory first defined the famous operators, 'div' (the divergence of a flow), 'grad' (the gradient of a flow), and 'curl' (the amount of twist in a flow).

Maxwell ignored his previous model for the aether. The equations express the mathematical properties of the continuous field of space and time energy. Maxwell intensely focused on the space propagation of electromagnetic waves. Maxwell's conceptual work reorganised the epistemological of physics, the understanding of the structure of the electromagnetic field, and the logical structure of physical science. Maxwell theory was testable against Newtonian force theories. The formulation of these equations is one of the most important event in physics.

Tom Bearden _[1] notes that "[Maxwell's] general equations of the electromagnetic field are given in Part III, General Equations of the Electromagnetic Field, p. 554-564. On p. 561, he lists his 20 variables. On p. 562, he summarizes the different subjects of the 20 equations, being three equations each for magnetic force, electric currents, electromotive force, electric elasticity, electric resistance, total currents; and one equation each for free electricity and continuity. [..] Maxwell adopts the approach of first arriving at the laws of induction and then deducing the mechanical attractions and repulsions.” _[2]

The later edition of that treatise were published with that revision done by Maxwell. A further change to the vector notation produced a symmetric mathematical representation that reinforced the perception of physical symmetries between the various fields. The equations express, respectively, how electric charges produce electric fields (Gauss's law), the experimental absence of magnetic charges, how currents produce magnetic fields (Ampere's law), and how changing magnetic fields produce electric fields (Faraday's law of induction).

Sets

The electromagnetic potentials first set is

Electric density

Magnetic density

The second set is

Electric charge

Current density

where:

ρ is the free electric charge density, not including dipole charges bound in a material,

B is the magnetic flux density (in units of teslas, T), also called the magnetic induction,

D is the electric displacement field,

E is the electric field,

H is the magnetic field strength,

J is the current density.

Quotes

This velocity is so nearly that of light, that it seems we have strong reason to conclude that light itself (including radiant heat, and other radiations if any) is an electromagnetic disturbance in the form of waves propagated through the electromagnetic field according to electromagnetic laws. Maxwell, Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field. 1865.

... we have strong reason to conclude that light itself -- including radiant heat, and other radiations if any -- is an electromagnetic disturbance in the form of waves propagated through the electromagnetic field according to electromagnetic laws. Maxwell, Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field. 1864.

See also

• Timeline of electromagnetism and classical optics

Further reading

• Maxwell, James Clerk, "A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field", Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London 155, 459-512 (1865). (This article accompanied a December 8, 1864 presentation by Maxwell to the Royal Society.)
• Maxwell, James Clerk, "A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field", Vol. CLV, 1865.
• James C. Maxwell, Thomas F. Torrance, "A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field". March, 1996. ISBN 1579100155
• Niven, W. D., "The Scientific Papers of James Clerk Maxwell", 2 vols. Dover, New York, 1952, Vol. 1.

External links and references

• Waser, André, "On the Notation of Maxwell's equations". 2000. (PDF)
• Johnson, Kevin, "The Electromagnetic Field". May 2002.
• "Theories of the Aether (Emergence of Scientific Theories of the Cosmic Aether)". Mountain Man Graphics, Australia, 1997.
• Tokunaga, Kiyohisa, "Chapter V - Maxwell's Equations; Part Two - Relativistic Canonical Theory of Electromagnetics". Total Integral for Electromagnetic Canonical Action
• Katz, Randy H., "Look Ma, No Wires": Marconi and the Invention of Radio". History of Communications Infrastructures.
• Smith, Tony, "Quaternions, Octonions, and Physics".