Electromagnetism refers to the interaction between electric charges and magnetic fields and the forces associated with them. This fundamental force of physics is one of the four fundamental interactions of nature and governs much of the world around us. The word electromagnetism is formed from two words—electricity and magnetism. Let's begin by discussing electricity. Imagine you're at a birthday party, and there are several balloons lying around. You pick one up and rub it on your hair… What happens? Two things: first, your hair will stand on end; and second, the balloon now has the ability to stick to walls! This neat trick is a great example of static electricity, commonly referred to as static. When you rub the balloon on your head, you transfer extremely small, invisible-to-the-naked-eye particles from your hair to the balloon. These particles are called electrons, and the rubbing action creates a static electric charge. The electrons come together on the balloon’s surface, giving it a negative charge, while your hair, with a diminished number of electrons, now holds a positive charge, causing your hair to stand on end. The movement of electrons is generally referred to as electricity. In the previous example, we saw how electrons can accumulate on the balloon’s surface; when electrons steadily flow through a material, however, it is called an electric current. Now let's shift our focus to magnetism. If you take a bar magnet and sprinkle small iron pieces around it, you will notice that the filings arrange themselves in beautiful patterns around the magnet, forming what we refer to as magnetic fields. In other words, a magnetic field is the region around a magnetic material within which it exerts a force of magnetism. Both electricity and magnetism are connected, but how? An electric charge, when it moves, creates a magnetic field. Similarly, a changing magnetic field can create an electric field. It's like a never-ending dance, where one leads and the other follows. This perpetual interaction between electricity and magnetism is generally known as electromagnetism. If you wrap a wire around an iron nail and then connect the ends of the wire to a battery, you essentially create an electromagnet. The electric current that runs through the wire creates a magnetic field, transforming a simple iron nail into a magnet. This principle is used in many modern appliances, such as motors and generators. Power plants that supply electricity to buildings have massive generators that convert mechanical energy into electrical energy using the principles of electromagnetism. These generators contain magnets and coils of wire. When the turbines spin, like in windmills, the magnets move around and generate a flow of electricity through the coils of wire. This electricity is then distributed to our homes through power lines. We are surrounded by practical applications of electromagnetism in our daily lives. The ability to watch videos on our mobile devices is thanks to electromagnetic waves, which are created by electric and magnetic fields interacting with each other. Put simply, an electromagnetic (EM) wave is energy that travels through space in the form of electric and magnetic fields, which oscillate perpendicular to each other and to the direction of wave propagation. These waves travel at the speed of light. Brownie points if you can provide the exact value of the speed of light in the comments below! EM waves have different wavelengths and frequencies, forming what we know as the electromagnetic spectrum. This spectrum includes radio waves, microwaves, infrared, UV, x-rays, and gamma rays. Visible light, which allows us to see the world around us, also makes up part of this spectrum. Examples of electromagnetism are all around us, including WiFi routers, phones, laptops, credit card strips, toaster coils, microwave ovens, and the lighting in our bedrooms. Can you list 5 daily life examples of electromagnetism in one minute, other than the ones I just mentioned? Put them in the comments below!