Quasistatic approximation (electromagnetism) (source code)

= Quasistatic approximation
{disambiguate=electromagnetism}
{title2=$\omega L/c\ll1$}

= Quasistatic approximation
{synonym}

An approximation that keeps slow electromagnetic time variation while treating propagation across characteristic size $L$ as rapid compared with the variation time $1/\omega$. The dimensionless parameter $\omega L/c$ measures that separation. Which terms of the <Maxwell equations> can be dropped still depends on the physical scaling; small propagation delay alone does not justify deleting both <displacement current> and <electromagnetic induction>. For a slowly driven <parallel-plate capacitor>, a nearly uniform gap <electric field> can coexist with the <magnetic field> generated by its changing <electric flux>.