Mechanical Universe

By the 1860s all the pieces of the electricity and magnetism puzzle were in place, except one. The last piece, discovered by James Clerk Maxwell and called (unfortunately) the displacement current was just what was needed to produce electromagnetic waves called (among other things) light.

Learning Objectives

Be able to write down Maxwell's equations and discuss the experimental basis of each.
Be able to state the definition of Maxwell's displacement current and discuss its significance.
Realize that Maxwell's equations reveal that light is an electromagnetic wave.
Be able to state the expression for the speed of an electromagnetic wave in terms of electric and magnetic currents.
Be able to comment on the symmetry of Maxwell's equations.
Know the significance of Maxwell's equations in modern technological society.