Relation Between Magnetism and Electricity

Hans Christian Oersted discovered the relationship between electricity and magnetism in 1820. It is well known that whenever an electric current flows through a conductor, a magnetic field is immediately brought into existence in the space surrounding the conductor. It can be said that when electrons are in motion, they produce a magnetic field. The converse of this is also true ie. when. magnetic field embracing a conductor moves relative to the conductor, it produces a flow of electrons in the conductor. This phenomenon whereby an em.f. and hence current (ie. flow of electrons) is induced in any conductor which is cut across or is cut by a magnetic flux is known as electromagnetic induction. The historical background of this phenomenon is this :

After the discovery (by Oersted) that electric current produces a magnetic field, scientists began to search for the converse phenomenon from about 1821 onwards. The problem they put to them selves was how to convert magnetism into electricity. It is recorded that Michael Faraday was in the habit of walking about with magnets in his pockets so as to constantly remind him of the prob lem. After nine years of continuous research and experimentation, he succeeded in producing elec tricity by 'converting magnetism'. In 1831, he formulated basic laws underlying the phenomenon of electromagnetic induction (known after his name), upon which is based the operation of most of the commercial apparatus like motors, generators and transformers etc.