How are electricity and magnetism alike?

Answer 1

Maxwell described that electricity and magnetism cannot be separated. If you examine maxwell's equations you can see that a moving electric charge will produce an electric field. You can also see that a magnetic field that changes in time can produce an electric field. Maxwell also predicted that an electric and magnetic field can propagate infinitely together- this is called a wave (otherwise known as light, x-rays, microwaves, etc...).

Answer 2

One of the four fundamental forces in the universe is the electromagnetic force. Not the electric force, and not the magnetic force. The electromagnetic force. Having said that, lets look at magnetism and then at electricity and link them up. Electricity is something we use every day. We think of electricity as moving electrons, and that's pretty much what it is. But in the broader sense, electricity is the movement of any charged particle or particles. It's just that we don't generally encounter moving charges other than the moving electrons of "regular" electricity. But any moving charges might be considered "electricity" in the broadest sense. Magnetism cannot exist "in a vacuum" as it were. Magnetism can only be created by the movement of a charged particle or charged particles. Only that. Any time any charged particle moves, it creates a magnetic field around its path of travel. This happens every time a charged particle moves. Every time, and without fail. It takes the movement of a charged particle to create a magnetic field. And it takes the movement of many charged particles moving in unison to create a "big" magnetic field like we see in a bar (permanent) magnet. Because electricity (moving electric charges) is necessary for magnetism to exist, the two are inextricably linked. You can't have the one without the other. This is a fundamental concept, and one on which a great deal of the world works and depends. Links can be found below for further investigation.