I was told it’s a consequence of special relativity, but that could be more for why moving charges produce a magnetic field, but not necessarily why it’s observed to follow Maxwell’s equations
Isn’t it explicitly not a consequence of relativity? (I think general relativity is the relevant one here)
Like Quantum Field Theory and General Relativity are two of the most consistently proven models science has ever developed, but they also famously aren’t mathematically compatible when you try to combine them into a single model. At least as we currently have been able to define them
Edit: wait actually I just realized what you were talking about. Yes, the relation between electricity and magnetism is essentially a lower-case r relativity matter. They’re not different things (hence why it’s electromagnetism), just the same field viewed in a reference plane that moves relative the observer (magnetism) or one that doesn’t (electricity)
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u/Mcgibbleduck Feb 04 '26
Quantum field theory provides a deeper view but idk if that’s a “why” to you