Electric and magnetic fields are two interrelated aspects of the electromagnetic force, a fundamental force of nature. This force governs the attraction and repulsion between electrically charged particles, and its fields are responsible for the propagation of light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation.
The connection between force and field can be summarized as:
- A force pushes or pulls an object. A field is a region of space in which a force acts on objects.
- In the case of the electromagnetic force, the electric field is the region of space in which electric forces act on charged particles, and the magnetic field is the region of space in which magnetic forces act on moving charged particles.
- In other words, electric and magnetic fields are the regions in space where the electromagnetic force pushes and pulls microscopic objects such as electrons and macroscopic objects such as magnets or metal filings.