I have studied electromagnetism in my Physics AP class

[chiefrocka]

Hi, I'm new here so I'm not sure how formal this should be:
I have studied electromagnetism in my Physics AP class at my high school but I have had a question at the back of my head. I don't have a very good physics teacher, and he was unable to explain this to me. My question is why, when charged particles move, do they create electromagnetic fields in concentric circles? My inquiry concerns more why an electromagnetic field is created at all rather than why it is in the form of circles. Thank you.

 

[ThatOneGuy]

No one knows why an electromagnetic field is produced, that's just the way the universe works. That's like asking why squares have four sides... that's just a property of the universe that humans gave a name to.

why when charged particles move, do they create electromagnetic fields in concentric circles?

When a charged particle generates a field, the field is the same strength in all directions, so the field can be represented as a sphere surrounding the particle. However, a sphere is a somewhat flawed visual image because the field generated actually has infinite range, so the sphere is more representative of the significant or effective range of the field.

 

[Graeme Robinson]

Hello, welcome to the community! It's great to hear that you have studied electromagnetism in your Physics AP class. As for your question about why charged particles create electromagnetic fields in concentric circles, the answer lies in the fundamental principles of electromagnetism. When charged particles move, they create a disturbance in the electric and magnetic fields around them. This disturbance, known as an electromagnetic wave, propagates outward in all directions, forming concentric circles. This is due to the fact that the electric and magnetic fields are perpendicular to each other and to the direction of the wave's propagation. As for why an electromagnetic field is created at all, it is a fundamental property of charged particles. According to Maxwell's equations, any moving charged particle will create an electromagnetic field. I hope this helps clarify your inquiry. Keep exploring and asking questions, and best of luck in your studies!