What is the exact mechanism which gives magnetic fields their shapes/patterns?
In: Physics
Magnetic fields bend back on themselves the way they do because they essentially have to create a circuit. A magnetic field is caused by the presence of the carriers of the electromagnetic force, i.e. photons. These photons travel in loops around and through the magnet (and whatever else enters the magnet’s field).
The really crazy field shapes you sometimes see, such as with ferrofluid surrounding a strong magnet, are caused by multiple magnetic fields overlapping and interfering with each other.
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