Electromagnetism
/ɪˌlɛk.troʊˈmæɡ.nəˌtɪ.zəm/noun
The branch of physics dealing with the interaction of electric and magnetic fields.
Did you know?The word is built from Greek roots meaning “amber” and “lodestone,” two ancient objects people long associated with uncanny attraction before modern physics unified them.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ēlektron
“amber, the resin that produces static electricity when rubbed”
Ancient Greek
Greek
magnēs lithos
“Magnesian stone; lodestone, a naturally magnetized rock”
17th Century
New Latin
electricus
“of amber; relating to the effects produced by rubbing amber”
19th Century
English
electromagnet
“a magnet produced by an electric current”
19th Century
English
electromagnetism
“the combined study of electric and magnetic phenomena”
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