Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

electromagnetic force

American  
[i-lek-troh-mag-net-ik fawrs] / ɪˈlɛk troʊ mægˌnɛt ɪk ˈfɔrs /

noun

  • electromagnetic forces
    plural
  1. Physics. the interaction between electrically charged particles, responsible for binding atoms and producing electromagnetic radiation, including visible light; the force exerted by electric and magnetic fields on charged particles.


electromagnetic force Scientific  
/ ĭ-lĕk′trō-măg-nĕt′ĭk /
  1. The fundamental force associated with electric and magnetic fields. The electromagnetic force is carried by the photon and is responsible for atomic structure, chemical reactions, the attractive and repulsive forces associated with electrical charge and magnetism, and all other electromagnetic phenomena. Like gravity, the electromagnetic force has an infinite range and obeys the inverse-square law. The electromagnetic force is weaker than the strong nuclear force but stronger than the weak force and gravity. Some scientists believe that the electromagnetic force and the weak nuclear force are both aspects of a single force called the electroweak force.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The electromagnetic force is long range because the photon has no mass, and the weak force is short range because the particles that convey it, the W and Z, are massive.

From Science Magazine ● Mar. 27, 2024

Besides the forces due to static configurations, e.g., the attractive electromagnetic force between positively and negatively charged particles, there can also be forces due to fluctuations.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 6, 2023

In electromagnetism, the particle that carries the electromagnetic force, the photon, is itself electrically neutral, which keeps things somewhat simple.

From Scientific American ● Feb. 22, 2023

As the outer core's fluid motion generates a magnetic field for our planet, that same magnetic field drives the metallic inner core to rotate through electromagnetic force.

From Salon ● Jan. 25, 2023

Thus the attractive and repulsive forces between the individual particles nearly cancel each other out, and there is very little net electromagnetic force.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Just like flashcards, but way more fun

Don't take our word for it. Leave the boring studying behind and join VocabTrainer today. You'll learn even faster and never look back.

Take me to Vocabulary.com