Electromagnetic describes anything involving both electricity and magnetism working together. These two forces are deeply connected: moving electricity creates magnetism, and changing magnetic fields can create electricity.

When you flip a light switch, electromagnetic energy travels through the wires at nearly the speed of light. The electricity flowing through the wire creates a magnetic field around it. This connection between electricity and magnetism is what makes motors spin, generators produce power, and electromagnets work in everything from doorbells to massive cranes that lift cars in junkyards.

The word also describes electromagnetic waves, which are ripples of electromagnetic energy that travel through space. Light is an electromagnetic wave, and so are radio waves, microwaves, X-rays, and the signals that carry Wi-Fi to your devices. All of these are the same type of wave, just vibrating at different rates. When you warm food in a microwave or listen to the radio, you're using electromagnetic waves.

Scientists discovered these connections in the 1800s, and the discovery revolutionized technology. Motors, generators, radios, cell phones, and even the device you're reading this on all depend on electromagnetic principles. Understanding how electricity and magnetism work together opened up the modern technological world.