Maxwell's equations [Scanning Our Past]

Maxwell's equations provide a complete description of electromagnetic phenomena and underpin all modern information and communication technologies. They are named after James Clerk Maxwell, the Scottish physicist whose pioneering work unified the theories of electricity, magnetism, and light. Today, Maxwell's equations are the essential tool of electrical engineers, used to design all electrical and electronic equipment from cell phones to satellites, televisions to computers, and power stations to washing machines. The theory of electromagnetism was built on the discoveries and advances of many scientists and engineers, but the pivotal contribution was that of Maxwell, who during the second half of the 19th century made the huge conceptual leaps that would enable the great advances in electrical technology throughout the 20th century.