Electric fields are produced by voltage or electric charge. These types of fields are measured in volts per meter (V/m). The higher the voltage, the greater the electric field.
A lamp cord that is plugged in produces an electric field even if the lamp is not on.
Magnetic fields are created by the current or flow of electricity in a wire. As current increases, the field strength increases. When an appliance is turned on, the magnetic field is produced. The magnetic field is not present when the appliance is turned off.
Magnetic fields are measured in units called gauss or Tesla and typically are reported in milligauss or mircroTesla. Note: 1 guass = 1,000 milligauss (mG); 1mG= 0.1 mircroTesla.
1 An electric field is essentially a force field that's created around an electrically charged particle. A magnetic field is one that's created around a permanent magnetic substance or a moving electrically charged object.