Part IV — Chapter 11
Maxwell & Electromagnetic Waves
The equations that unified electricity, magnetism, and light
11.1 Maxwell's Equations
James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879) unified all known laws of electricity and magnetism into four elegant equations. They predicted that oscillating electric and magnetic fields propagate through space as waves at the speed of light.
11.2 Light as an Electromagnetic Wave
Maxwell's theory revealed that light itself is an electromagnetic wave. This was one of the great unifications in physics, placing optics, electricity, and magnetism under a single theoretical roof.
11.3 Hertz and Experimental Confirmation
In 1887, Heinrich Hertz experimentally generated and detected electromagnetic waves, confirming Maxwell's prediction. This discovery led directly to radio, television, radar, and all modern wireless communication.