A charged particle enters a magnetic field perpendicularly. What is the path it will follow?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
A charged particle enters a magnetic field perpendicularly. What is the path it will follow?
Straight line
Circular path
Elliptical path
Parabolic path
A charged particle entering a magnetic field perpendicularly will follow a circular path due to the magnetic force acting as a centripetal force.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
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Q
Q: A charged particle enters a magnetic field perpendicularly. What is the path it will follow?
Solution: A charged particle entering a magnetic field perpendicularly will follow a circular path due to the magnetic force acting as a centripetal force.
Steps: 7
Step 1: Understand that a charged particle is a particle that has an electric charge, like an electron or proton.
Step 2: Know that a magnetic field is an area around a magnet where magnetic forces can be felt.
Step 3: When the charged particle enters the magnetic field perpendicularly, it means it is coming in at a right angle to the direction of the magnetic field lines.
Step 4: The magnetic field exerts a force on the charged particle. This force is always perpendicular to the direction of the particle's motion.
Step 5: Because the magnetic force is perpendicular to the motion, it changes the direction of the particle but not its speed.
Step 6: This change in direction causes the particle to move in a circular path.
Step 7: The magnetic force acts as a centripetal force, which keeps the particle moving in a circle.
