Re: Why Do We use B for the Magnetic Field?

[Doug Craigen <dcc@ESCAPE.CA>]

"Paul O. Johnson" wrote:
> Bruce,
>
> I reckon it's for the same reason that we use p for momentum or L for
> angular momentum; i.e. it's completely arbitrary but also completely
> conventional. Given most conventional symbols, why should you expect M for
> magnetic field strength?

My supposition has been that historically M was already being used for
some kind of measure of how magnetized something was before concepts of
magnetic fields were well defined.  Whether or not this is the case, it
strikes me as a toss-up whether M would go to the magnetic field (B or
H, depending on my mood and who I'm talking to) or to the magnetization
of a material.  Somehow, even though we physicists are more interested
in the former, it strikes me that more people would be interested in the
latter - hence I'm not surprised that's where it is used.

> Paul O. Johnson
> The Science Place
> Dallas Texas
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Oldaker, B. COL PHYSICS" <hb6805@EXMAIL.USMA.ARMY.MIL>
> To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
> Sent: Sunday, April 29, 2001 5:46 PM
> Subject: Why Do We use B for the Magnetic Field?
>
> > Hello from a new subscriber.
> >
> > Why do we use "B" for the magnetic field?  One of my inquiring instructors
> > wants to know and I can't find it in my weird files.
> >
> > Bruce Oldaker
> > Department of Physics
> > United State Military Academy
> > West Point, NY 10996
> > hb6805@usma.edu


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Doug Craigen
          http://www.dctech.com/physics/about_dc.html