Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Maxwell's Equation Of Electromagnetism

Maxwell's Equation Of Electromagnetism

James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879) was one of the major contributors to physics in the nineteenth century. Although he died young, he made major contributions to the development of the kinetic theory of gases, to the understanding of color vision, and to understanding the nature of Saturn's rings. He is probably best known for having combined existing knowledge on the laws of electricity and magnetism with his insights into a complete overarching electromagnetic theory, which is represented by...

Maxwell's Thermodynamic Relations

Maxwell's Thermodynamic Relations

Maxwell's thermodynamic relations are very useful in solving problems in thermodynamics. Each of Maxwell's relations relates a partial differential between quantities that can be hard to measure experimentally to a partial differential between quantities that can be easily measured. These relations are a set of equations derivable from the symmetry of the second derivatives and the thermodynamic potentials.
All thermodynamic potentials are exact differentials. Therefore, their second-order...

Symmetry in Maxwell's Equations

Symmetry in Maxwell's Equations

Once the fields have been calculated using Maxwell's four equations, the Lorentz force equation gives the force that the fields exert on a charged particle moving with a certain velocity. The Lorentz force equation combines the force of the electric field and of the magnetic field on the moving charge. Maxwell's equations and the Lorentz force law together encompass all the laws of electricity and magnetism. The symmetry that Maxwell introduced into his mathematical framework may not be...

Differential Form of Maxwell's Equations

Differential Form of Maxwell's Equations

James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879) was one of the significant contributors to physics in the nineteenth century. He is probably best known for having combined existing knowledge of the laws of electricity and the laws of magnetism with his insights to form a complete overarching electromagnetic theory, represented by Maxwell's equations. The four basic laws of electricity and magnetism were discovered experimentally through the work of physicists such as Oersted, Coulomb, Gauss, and Faraday.

Ampere-Maxwell's Law: Problem-Solving

Ampere-Maxwell's Law: Problem-Solving

A parallel-plate capacitor with capacitance C, whose plates have area A and separation distance d, is connected to a resistor R and a battery of voltage V. The current starts to flow at t = 0. What is the displacement current between the capacitor plates at time t? From the properties of the capacitor, what is the corresponding real current?
To solve the problem, we can use the equations from the analysis of an RC circuit and Maxwell's version of Ampère's law.
For the first part of the problem,...

Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution: Problem Solving

Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution: Problem Solving

Individual molecules in a gas move in random directions, but a gas containing numerous molecules has a predictable distribution of molecular speeds, which is known as the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution, f(v).
This distribution function f(v) is defined by saying that the expected number N (v1,v2) of particles with speeds between v1 and v2 is given by

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Posthumous inspirations.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·1993

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Comparative Study of Simulation of Temperature Rise in Ring Main Unit

Comparative Study of Simulation of Temperature Rise in Ring Main Unit

Published on: July 5, 2024

Maxwell's Scientific Papers.

¹Department of Physics, Stanford University,Stanford, California 94305, USA.

|January 9, 2010

Summary

This review covers a reprint of James Clerk Maxwell's scientific papers, focusing on his shorter works in electromagnetism and optics. It highlights previously unpublished archival photographs, offering new insights into Maxwell's contributions.

Area of Science:

Physics
Electromagnetism
Optics

Background:

Review of the 1890 commemoration edition of The Scientific Papers of James Clerk Maxwell.
Focuses on a selection of Maxwell's shorter works, excluding major treatises.

Purpose of the Study:

To review a significant reprint of James Clerk Maxwell's scientific papers.
To highlight the content and significance of the included shorter works.
To present previously unpublished archival photographs.

Main Methods:

Content analysis of the reprinted scientific papers.
Review of the selection criteria for included works.
Examination of supplementary archival materials.

Main Results:

More Related Videos

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids

Published on: December 4, 2017

Near-Infrared Temperature Measurement Technique for Water Surrounding an Induction-heated Small Magnetic Sphere

Near-Infrared Temperature Measurement Technique for Water Surrounding an Induction-heated Small Magnetic Sphere

Published on: April 30, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Comparative Study of Simulation of Temperature Rise in Ring Main Unit

Comparative Study of Simulation of Temperature Rise in Ring Main Unit

Published on: July 5, 2024

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids

Published on: December 4, 2017

Near-Infrared Temperature Measurement Technique for Water Surrounding an Induction-heated Small Magnetic Sphere

Near-Infrared Temperature Measurement Technique for Water Surrounding an Induction-heated Small Magnetic Sphere

Published on: April 30, 2018

The reprint contains 101 shorter papers, articles, speeches, and reviews.
Key areas covered include electricity, magnetism, dynamical theory of gases, and optics.
The review includes unique photographs from the Maxwell family archives.

Conclusions:

The reviewed reprint offers valuable access to Maxwell's foundational shorter scientific contributions.
The inclusion of unpublished photographs provides a novel perspective on Maxwell's legacy.
This edition serves as a resource for understanding Maxwell's impact on physics.