Peter said:
I am having trouble understanding the difference between magnetic field and
an electrical field. I thought they were the same but as I start to study
for a ham license I am reading different.
They're also called "electrostatic" fields, but of course there
is no requirement that they be constant and unchanging.
If you sprinkle iron filings on paper over a bar magnet, then
they line up and you can see the flux lines of magnetic field.
If you sprinkle grass seed on oil over some high voltage
electrodes then they line up and you can see the flux lines
of electric field.
The energy stored in an inductor takes the form of a magnetic
field. The energy stored in a capacitor takes the form of an
electric field.
Radio waves are partly made of electric fields, partly made
of magnetic fields (that's why we call them EM fields.)
Note: electric fields are essentially "made" of voltage spread
over distance. There is a weak electric field in the space around
the terminals of a 9V battery. There is a strong electric field
around a rubber balloon which you've recently rubbed upon your
hair.