A magnetic field is created when electric current flows. The greater the current the stronger the magnetic field.
- Whilst an electric field is created by a change in voltage (charge), a magnetic field is created when electric current flows. The greater the current the stronger the magnetic field.
- An electromagnetic wave is the result of the interaction of an electric and magnetic field because an electric field induces a magnetic field and a magnetic field induces an electric field.
- An electromagnetic wave can be induced when either the charge of an electric field changes or when the current of a magnetic field changes or when they both change together.
- The waveform, wavelength and frequency of an electromagnetic wave result from the rapid periodic succession of transitions between the electrical and magnetic components and the forward propagation of the wave through space.
- When electric and magnetic fields come into contact to form electromagnetic waves they oscillate at right angles to one another.
- The direction of propagation of an electromagnetic wave is at right angles to the electric and magnetic fields.