Abstract The controversy arises due to abrahams and minkowski's calculations disagreeing as to whether the momentum carried by an electromagnetic field is increased or decreased by the presence of a refractive medium. This paper starts by providing an overview of the life of Abraham and minkowski. The opinions on the century are considered, and the arguments they put forward to support her o> controversy, and solutions for the controversy proposed by physicists over the pa position are examined. Finally, some of the experiments undertaken are discussed, along with whether they have shed light on the controversy. The paper concludes by considering proposed future work on the topic2 Abstract The controversy arises due to Abraham’s and Minkowski’s calculations disagreeing as to whether the momentum carried by an electromagnetic field is increased or decreased by the presence of a refractive medium. This paper starts by providing an overview of the life of Abraham and Minkowski. The opinions on the controversy, and solutions for the controversy proposed by physicists over the past century are considered, and the arguments they put forward to support their position are examined. Finally, some of the experiments undertaken are discussed, along with whether they have shed light on the controversy. The paper concludes by considering proposed future work on the topic