From 20 Equations to 4: The Discovery of Maxwell's Equations
Maxwell's Equations Were Discovered [video]
I explore the fascinating journey of how James Clerk Maxwell unified electricity and magnetism, building on Michael Faraday's experimental insights. The story reveals how Maxwell's original complex set of 20 equations was later simplified by Oliver Heaviside into the elegant four vector equations we know today, fundamentally changing our understanding of light and the universe.
Maxwell: 20 equations. Heaviside: no they're actually 4 in vector notation. Space-time algebra: well, actually that's just one single equation.
- andai
Video title is How Maxwell's Equations Were Discovered, HN's regex thingy changed it to Maxwell's Equations Were Discovered. (My brain's regex changed it back :)
- ck2
if you aren't afraid of difficult math breaking your brain, I highly recommend this youtube channel "PhysicsExplained" (sorry I forget his actual name but he is brilliant)
he has a recent two-parter on Maxwell and electro-magnetism that are EXCELLENT
* part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqxrlunKCaU
* part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt1KJtD4Qh8
but I am not kidding about the math, he starts off slow and gentle and hooks you in, but sometimes after 10 minutes in my brain is screaming and cannot keep up
- amelius
If you like this make sure you watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDlZ-aY9GN4
which explains that magnetism is just an emergent property when you start from Coulomb's law and relativity.