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Re: INTRODUCING B



B is just a symbol used to represent the physical quantity
often called magnetic field. I do not know why the symbol
M was not chosen; perhaps somebody did not want to have a
confusion with the symbol already used for mass or moment
of force. Perhaps there is a word in another language which
begins with b and which has something to do with magnetic
induction. Or perhaps it has something to do with two coils,
A and B, and with what happens in the second coil when
the current is flowing in the first.

If you asked why I am using the symbol B the answer
would be obvious, "everybody else does it." That is
good enough for me. Please share the result of your
investigations. I would also like to know who was the
first to use this symbol and why it was chosen.

frank cange wrote:

ludwik:
do you have any idea where the notion of calling the magnetic field,
B-field came from, or originates from? i have always wondered why they
didn't call it the M field for the word magnetic.thanks!
frank cange

From: Ludwik Kowalski <kowalskiL@MAIL.MONTCLAIR.EDU>
Reply-To: "phys-l@lists.nau.edu: Forum for Physics Educators"
<PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject: INTRODUCING B
Date: Tue, 02 Apr 2002 11:12:04 -0500

OOPS, the subject line has been corrected.
*********************************

A draft of a handout for students (introducing B in a slow
way) has been posted at my website:

http://blake.montclair.edu/~kowalskil/elec/magfield.html

Critical comments and corrections will be appreciated.
Paragraphs were numbered to facilitate discussion. Feel
free to use my document in any way you may wish.
Ludwik Kowalski

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