Magnetic field
spatial distribution of vectors allowing the calculation of the magnetic force on a test particle
In magnetism and electromagnetism, magnetic field is a physical property of space that quantifies the magnetic influence at a given location.
Magnetic fields
deflect moving electric charges (including electric currents)
apply torques on magnets to twist them in the direction of the magnetic field
attract or repel magnets and magnetic material such as iron
induce electric currents in electically conducting material.
Magnetic fields are created by
permanent magnetic materials
moving electric charges (including electric current).
Magnetic fields are used throughout modern science and technology. In electrical engineering and electromechanics, it is important in the design and use of electric motors, generators, transformers, electromagnets, and inductors among many other devices. In material science, magnetic forces give information about the charge carriers in a material through the Hall effect in addition to other uses.
In geology and geophysics, Earth's magnetic field gives information about earth's interior while local magnetic field measurements are used in mineral exploration and other measurements. Too, Earth's magnetic field creates a magnetosphere which shields the Earth's ozone layer and the rest of the planet from the solar wind. In physics, the relationship between the magnetic and electric fields forms the field of electrodynamics which is important to understand a wide range of phenomena including light (also known as electromagnetic radiation) and the properties of antenna and transmission lines.
Since both strength and direction of a magnetic field may vary with location, it is described mathematically by assigning a vector to each point of space, making it a vector field.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Magnetic field” as spatial distribution of vectors allowing the calculation of the magnetic force on a test particle. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
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Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q11408. The Library of Congress control number is sh00006588. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
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This entry incorporates text from “Magnetic field” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.