3 ms·
I've been trying to understand the same thing: what those equations actually describe. So far I've come up with this analogy. The B field describes surface of t
by frongpik 6y ago
I've been trying to understand the same thing: what those equations actually describe. So far I've come up with this analogy. The B field describes surface of the magnetic medium or substance of unknown origin, the E field is merely the apparent velocity of this surface. Electrons and other charged particles blindly run down the slopes of the magnetic medium. There's also this rot B and rot E part that creates vorticity, similar to what we see in liquids.
- fsh 6y agoThis sounds very much like the aether hypothesis of the 19th century which was abandoned since it is incompatible with many experimental observations, such as the Michelson-Morley experiment. The modern point of view is that EM fields are fundamental and have no underlying mechanism such as an aether medium or something like that.
- frongpik 6y agoNah, that experiment disproved the "static background medium" within which the earth would be moving.
- fsh 6y agoSure, there are some loopholes like a dragged aether that could resolve the contradiction with Michelson-Morley. But you are going to have a very hard time explaining all the other tests of special relativity such as Ives-Stilwell type experiments.