Talk:Line of force

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The concept that a line of magnetic force exists is a heuristic or conceptual aid in visualising the idea of a magnetic field. This idea can be traced to William Gilbert's orb of virtue, which surrounded a magnet. The fact that these lines can be given an operational meaning through mathematical analysis gives them a sense of physical reality.

According to J.J. Thomson, "the method of the tubes are distinctly physical, that of the symbols and differential equations is analytical." (p.vi of Notes on Recent Researches in Electricity and Magnetism [1]). "Common Misconceptions" in article makes the J.J. Thomson physical theory approach seem faulty. --Firefly322 (talk) 13:53, 25 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

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improve lede[edit]

The article currently contains a disclaimer stating that the reader should look at another article to understand the modern usage of lines of force. But it seems to me that the current lede is very unclear. At the least should it not say: "lines of force are imaginary lines used to indicate the magnitude and strength of electric and magnetic fields" and then go on to discuss what it does currently? Akashsingh1991 (talk) 16:21, 9 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]