Electricity vs. Magnetism: What's the Difference?
Electricity and magnetism look like two different forces, but they're deeply connected — two aspects of a single force called electromagnetism. Electricity involves electric charge (static charge or flowing current); magnetism is the force produced by moving charges and felt by magnetic materials. A change in one creates the other.
See the difference, explained visually.
Watch a 2-minute animated lesson comparing electricity and magnetism.
At a glance
| Electricity | Magnetism | |
|---|---|---|
| Comes from | Electric charge | Moving electric charges |
| Acts on | Charged particles | Magnets & magnetic materials |
| Poles / charges | Positive & negative charges | North & south poles |
| Everyday example | A battery powering a bulb | A fridge magnet; a compass |
| The link | A current creates a magnetic field | A changing field induces a current |
Which should you use?
Electricity
You're dealing with electricity when charge is involved — static charge, current in a circuit, voltage, power.
Magnetism
You're dealing with magnetism when magnetic force is involved — magnets, magnetic fields, compasses — though it ultimately arises from moving charge.
Frequently asked questions
- How are electricity and magnetism related?
- They're unified as electromagnetism: an electric current creates a magnetic field, and a changing magnetic field induces an electric current. Motors and generators rely on this link.
- Are they the same force?
- Yes, fundamentally. Physics treats them as one electromagnetic force; what looks 'electric' or 'magnetic' depends on the situation and your frame of reference.
- What is electromagnetism?
- The combined force describing how electric charges and magnetic fields interact — one of the four fundamental forces of nature.