Re: Magnetic poles, was On 1/4*Pi*epsilon in Coulomb's law

[Jack Uretsky <jlu@HEP.ANL.GOV>]

Look at it this way.  Magnetic poles are just as real as quarks.
We can't isolate quarks because they are confined.  Similarly with
magnetic poles.
                        Regards,
                                Jack

On Wed, 24 Jan 2001, Ludwik Kowalski wrote:

> I agree with you, Jack, that it is a good idea to connect
> the first introduction to a field (gravitational) with fields to
> be studied in detail later. I will look at what you wrote later
> at home
>
> The concept of magnetic pole strength played an essential
> role in history of electromagnetism and it is regrettable, in
> my opinion, that most popular textbook no longer use it.
> It is true that a magnetic pole seems to be less real than an
> electric charge. And that it is possible to explain everything
> without using this concept. But is it a valid argument? Is it
> not true that all concepts (mass, charge, force, pressure, etc.)
> are human inventions?
> Ludwik Kowalski

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