Magnetic Charge and Maxwell's Equations
Most recent answer: 06/27/2011
Q:
What is magnetic charge? How can it be explained on the basis assumptions on of Maxwell's equations?
- Abdullah (age 50)
Calicut,Kerala,India
- Abdullah (age 50)
Calicut,Kerala,India
A:
There's no magnetic charge in Maxwell's equations as we know them. To add a magnetic charge, analogous to the electric charge, you'd change the equations in two ways:
1. Instead of setting the divergence of magnetic field B to zero, it would be some (units-dependent) constant times the magnetic charge density.
2. The curl of the electric field E would have an extra term, some (units-dependent) constant times the magnetic current density.
That would make a nice symmetrical set of relations between electricity and magnetism. However, so far no one has found any magnetic charge or magnetic current.
Mike W.
1. Instead of setting the divergence of magnetic field B to zero, it would be some (units-dependent) constant times the magnetic charge density.
2. The curl of the electric field E would have an extra term, some (units-dependent) constant times the magnetic current density.
That would make a nice symmetrical set of relations between electricity and magnetism. However, so far no one has found any magnetic charge or magnetic current.
Mike W.
(published on 06/27/2011)