Do Accelerating Charges Always Emit Radiation?

In summary, the emission of EM radiation by a moving charged particle depends on the type of accelerating force acting on it. If the force is due to a uniform gravitational field, the charge will not emit radiation. This topic has been discussed extensively in previous threads and it may be difficult to fully answer the question in a physics forum. However, it is worth noting that simply dropping an electron from a rooftop may not result in radiation being emitted.
  • #1
Inquisitive11
2
0
Why does a moving particle particle emit EM-radiation?
 
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  • #2
This applies to charged particles that are accelerating or decelerating.
 
  • #3
mathman said:
This applies to charged particles that are accelerating or decelerating.
Whether accelerating charges emit radiation appears to depend on the accelerating force. If the accelerating force is due to a uniform gravitational field, the charge does not appear to emit radiation.

AM
 
  • #4
It seems this question about acceleration of charges and the emission of EM comes up every so often. It is not as straight forward as one may imagine. I suggest the OP read some of the recent threads on this as there is a lot of information in them, too much to repeat here. I do note though that the question was why? I'm not sure that this can be answered in a physics forum.
 
  • #5
Andrew Mason said:
Whether accelerating charges emit radiation appears to depend on the accelerating force. If the accelerating force is due to a uniform gravitational field, the charge does not appear to emit radiation.

AM

Why it depends on the accelerating force? if I "drop electron" from the roof of my house what would happen?
 

1. What is acceleration?

Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity over time. It is a vector quantity and is represented by the symbol "a". It can be calculated by dividing the change in velocity by the change in time.

2. How does acceleration affect an object?

Acceleration can affect an object in various ways, depending on its direction and magnitude. If the acceleration is in the same direction as the object's motion, it will cause the object to speed up. If the acceleration is in the opposite direction, it will cause the object to slow down. Acceleration can also change the direction of an object's motion, leading to circular or curved paths.

3. What is electromagnetic radiation?

Electromagnetic radiation (EM radiation) refers to the energy emitted by electromagnetic waves. These waves are created when an electrically charged particle, such as an electron, is accelerated. EM radiation includes different types of waves, such as radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays.

4. How is EM radiation related to acceleration?

As mentioned earlier, EM radiation is created when a charged particle is accelerated. This means that any object or particle that undergoes acceleration will emit EM radiation. The amount and type of radiation emitted depend on the magnitude and direction of the acceleration. For example, when an electron is accelerated, it emits photons of light, which make up the visible light spectrum.

5. What is the relationship between acceleration and energy?

Acceleration and energy are closely related. When an object is accelerated, it gains kinetic energy, which is the energy of motion. The amount of energy gained is directly proportional to the mass of the object and the square of its velocity. This means that the faster an object accelerates, the more energy it will gain. Similarly, deceleration or negative acceleration will result in a loss of energy.

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