Abstract

This paper discusses a new turn in the 148-year old electrodynamic force law controversy between the 1822 Ampère force law of the Newtonian electrodynamics and Grassmann's 1845 law which has become the electrodynamic force law of relativistic electromagnetism. Faced with the infallibility of Ampère's empirical law, defenders of relativity theory now argue that Ampère's law is “equivalent” to the relativistic law. This paper demonstrates that, far from being equivalent, the laws require two different mechanics of solid bodies, disagree on internally generated stresses, and predict different force distributions.