Gauss's law for magnetism

E31558

Gauss's law for magnetism is the Maxwell equation stating that magnetic monopoles do not exist and that magnetic field lines always form closed loops with zero net flux through any closed surface.

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Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Maxwell equation
law of electromagnetism
physical law
appliesTo closed surfaces
approximationLevel classical (non-quantum) description
assumes absence of magnetic charge density
componentOf set of four Maxwell equations
consequence magnetic field is solenoidal
magnetic field lines have no beginning or end
contrastsWith Gauss’s law
surface form: Gauss's law for electricity
coordinateForm ∂B_x/∂x + ∂B_y/∂y + ∂B_z/∂z = 0
expressedIn Maxwell's equations
expresses divergence-free nature of the magnetic field
field classical electrodynamics
electromagnetism
formulatedIn differential form
integral form
holdsIn linear media
nonlinear media
vacuum
implies magnetic field lines form closed loops
magnetic monopoles do not exist in classical electromagnetism
involvesConcept closed surface integral
magnetic flux conservation
involvesOperator divergence operator
isIntegralFormOf ∇ · B = 0
isLocalFormOf ∮_S B · dA = 0
mathematicalForm ∇ · B = 0
∮_S B · dA = 0
namedAfter Carl Friedrich Gauss
quantityDescribed magnetic field
magnetic flux
relatedTo Ampère–Maxwell law
Faraday's law of induction
Faraday's law of induction
surface form: Maxwell–Faraday equation
representedIn tensor form of electromagnetism
states the net magnetic flux through any closed surface is zero
status empirically well supported
testedBy searches for magnetic monopoles
usedIn electromagnetic theory
magnetohydrodynamics
magnetostatics
plasma physics
usesSymbol B
dA
validIn special relativity

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field basedOn Gauss's law for magnetism
Maxwell's equations consistsOf Gauss's law for magnetism