Electromagnetic theory without electric flux

Whereas, to the physicist, the electric field in space is completely described by the field vector E, engineers commonly add the flux density, or displacement vector D as a separate quantity, and many regard the SI units as endorsing the need for two different vectors. The paper examines the practical implications of a treatment which makes the concept of electric flux unnecessary by concentrating attention on the charges. The electric field is defined as the potential φ, and its gradient becomes an auxiliary function, thus reversing their customary roles. The distinction between what is meant by the terms ‘electric’ and ‘magnetic’ also changes. It is shown that this approach has advantages in electrostatic theory, clarifies the concept of potential datum, and gives an entirely different view of electromagnetic propagation. Energy radiation is described in terms of the behaviour of the charges instead of the fluxes and characterises most electromagnetic devices. It resolves into two different components, one due to the vector A in magnetic devices, and the other, due to φ, defines those operating electrically, which are considered explicitly in the paper. The energy transfers sum to zero, unless the time delays within the system are significant, when a net energy radiation appears as a dissipative component instead of a stored energy. Retardation is accepted as an empirical observation, making the concepts of displacement current and flux inter-linkages unnecessary. It is shown that one of the consequences of the changes is to remove an apparent anomaly between classical theory and quantum mechanics, as φ, not E, appears in the Schrödinger equation.