Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Ampere–Maxwell law
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Maxwell unified electricity and magnetism by adding the displacement current term to Ampere’s circuital law. This addition states that a changing electric field acts like a current and produces a magnetic field, enabling electromagnetic wave propagation even in free space.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The Ampere–Maxwell law augments Ampere’s law by adding the displacement current density term epsilon * dE/dt. Thus, even where conduction current is absent, a changing electric field produces magnetic field circulation. By symmetry, Faraday’s law states the dual effect: a changing magnetic field induces an electric field.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Verification / Alternative check:
Wave equation derivation uses both laws; the displacement current term is essential for continuity of current in capacitors and for wave propagation.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Faraday’s law is the magnetic-to-electric counterpart; Hertz verified waves experimentally but did not provide the governing law; Kirchhoff and Coulomb address other regimes.
Common Pitfalls:
Swapping Faraday’s and Ampere–Maxwell roles; assuming a conduction current is required to generate magnetic fields in time-varying regimes.
Final Answer:
Ampere–Maxwell law
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