Difference between magnetic force and electric force

Introduction

The world around us is full of physical phenomena that have always amazed us. Electricity and magnetism are two of the most common events In nature and it is very important to know the differences between the two to better understand our world. In this article we will talk about the difference between magnetic force and electrical force, two fundamental forces in physics.

electric force

The electric force is a fundamental force that occurs between electric charges and acts at a distance. This force is responsible for the attraction and repulsion between electrically charged objects. This force is explained by Coulomb's law and depends on the amount of charge on the objects and the distance between them.

Coulomb law

Coulomb's law states that the electric force between two electric charges is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them and directly proportional to the product of the charges. Mathematically it is explained like this:

F = k(q₁ q₂)/r²

where F is the electric force, q₁ and what₂ are the magnitudes of the charges, r is the distance between the charges and k is a constant that depends on the medium in which the charges are found.

magnetic force

Magnetic force is also a fundamental force that occurs between objects with a magnetic field. This force occurs between magnets and objects with electric currents. Like the electric force, the magnetic force is a force of action at a distance. The magnetic force is explained by Lorentz's law and depends on the magnitude of the magnetic field and the speed of the interacting objects.

Lorentz's Law

Lorentz's law states that the magnetic force on a charged particle moving in a magnetic field depends on the charge of the particle, the speed of the particle, and the intensity of the magnetic field. Mathematically it is explained like this:

F = q(vx B)

where F is the magnetic force, q is the charge of the particle, v is the velocity of the particle and B is the magnetic field.

Differences between electric force and magnetic force

• Electric force occurs between electric charges, while magnetic force occurs between objects with magnetic fields.
• The electric force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the charges, while the magnetic force does not depend on the distance.
• The electric force is stronger than the magnetic force at short distances. However, the magnetic force is stronger than the electric force over long distances.
• Electrical force is responsible for most interactions between everyday materials, while magnetic force is responsible for interactions between magnetic materials.

Conclusion

In short, electric force and magnetic force are fundamental to physics and our understanding of the world around us. Both forces are similar in some ways but different in others. Knowing the differences between the two is useful for understanding many physical phenomena and for designing technology.