Abstract
I THINK there is, in Another Place, possibly some misunderstanding concerning the inertia of a moving charged conductor due to the magnetic energy set up by its motion. It depends upon the distribution of the electrification, and may vary from a minimum up to infinity. No question of distortion due to high speed is involved, so the theory is quite simple. Say a sphere of radius a has any distribution of surface charge. For simplicity, let it be symmetrical round the axis of motion, so that the surface density is representable by the sum of any number of zonal harmonic distributions. The corresponding magnetic fields follow. Their magnetic energies are all independent, that the actual magnetic energy is the sum of the separate magnetic energies.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
HEAVISIDE, O. The Magnetic Inertia of a Charged Conductor in a Field of Force. Nature 73, 582 (1906). https://doi.org/10.1038/073582b0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/073582b0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.