Electromagnetics P2

The postulate In 1864, James Clerk Maxwell proposed one of the most successful theories in the history of science. In a famous memoir to the Royal Society [125] he presented nine equations summarizing all known laws on electricity and magnetism. This was more than a mere cataloging of the laws of The postulate In 1864, James Clerk Maxwell proposed one of the most successful theories in the history of science. In a famous memoir to the Royal Society [125] he presented nine equations summarizing all known laws on electricity and magnetism. This was more than a mere cataloging of the laws of nature. By postulating the need for an additional term to make the set of equations self-consistent, Maxwell was able to put forth what is still considered a complete theory of macroscopic electromagnetism. The beauty of Maxwell’s equations led Boltzmann to ask, “Was it a god who wrote these lines . . . ?” [185]. Since that time authors have struggled to find the best way to present Maxwell’s theory. Although it is possible to study electromagnetics from an “empirical–inductive” viewpoint (roughly following the historical order of development beginning with static fields), it is only by postulating the complete theory that more