Maxwellequaties

Maxwellequaties is a term used in some educational or popular science contexts to refer to the fundamental laws of electromagnetism collectively known as Maxwell's equations. While not a standard designation in peer‑reviewed physics, the name has appeared in certain books and online resources as a nickname or pedagogical alias for the set of equations that govern electric and magnetic fields and their interactions.

The Maxwell equations describe how electric fields E and magnetic fields B relate to charges, currents, and each other. In their common form for matter with linear constitutive relations, they are expressed as div E = rho/epsilon0, div B = 0, curl E = -dB/dt, and curl B = mu0 J + mu0 epsilon0 dE/dt, where rho is charge density and J is current density. Together with the continuity equation d rho/dt + div J = 0, they embody charge conservation. From these equations, one derives wave equations showing that changes in E and B propagate as electromagnetic waves at the speed of light, c = 1/sqrt(mu0 epsilon0), in free space.

Historically attributed to James Clerk Maxwell, the equations form the foundation of classical electromagnetism, optics, and radio physics. The term Maxwellequaties is not standard in formal literature but may appear as a mnemonic or teaching label to emphasize the unity of the electromagnetic laws. In practice, the equations underpin technologies ranging from wireless communication and imaging to electrical engineering and antenna theory. See also electromagnetism, Maxwell’s equations, and the Poynting vector.