Comparing Electron Paths: The Impact of Magnetic Field Strength on Velocity

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the comparison of electron paths in varying magnetic field strengths and their corresponding velocities. The two paths, identified as green and purple, demonstrate that despite equal lengths, the purple path exhibits a higher average kinetic energy due to its lower potential energy in the electric field. The analysis suggests that electrons on the green path occasionally exceed the speed of those on the purple path, but overall, the purple path is determined to be faster. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of potential energy in determining electron velocity in magnetic fields.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Lorentz force and its impact on charged particles
  • Familiarity with concepts of potential energy and kinetic energy in electric fields
  • Basic knowledge of cycloid motion and its mathematical representation
  • Experience with simulations in physics, particularly regarding particle motion
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  • Explore simulations of charged particle motion in varying magnetic fields using tools like MATLAB or Python
  • Study the mathematical derivation of cycloid paths in electromagnetic fields
  • Investigate the relationship between potential energy and kinetic energy in electric fields
  • Learn about the applications of Lorentz force in particle accelerators and other technologies
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Physics students, researchers in electromagnetism, and engineers working with charged particle dynamics will benefit from this discussion.

Samson4
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I made a picture because I'd struggle to get out a question without it. In the picture all things are constant except the strength of the magnetic field. It is at two different values. We see 2 cycloid paths of electrons that starts at rest. The circumference of the large path is exactly twice that of the smaller path.

My question is, would the green path have the higher velocity away from the origin?
Although both paths are equal in length, shouldn't the green path be the fastest? I base this conclusion on the amount of work the electric field does in both cases.

Electron Path.png
 
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I would say the purple path is faster because it's at a lower potential energy on average than the green. At first I agreed with your assessment, but then I noticed these were electron paths, so their potential energy increases in the direction of the electric field (since they're negatively charged). By that logic, the purple path should have a higher average kinetic energy and should be faster based purely on inspection. You could run a simulation or perform the time integral to double check.
 
Twigg said:
I would say the purple path is faster because it's at a lower potential energy on average than the green. At first I agreed with your assessment, but then I noticed these were electron paths, so their potential energy increases in the direction of the electric field (since they're negatively charged). By that logic, the purple path should have a higher average kinetic energy and should be faster based purely on inspection. You could run a simulation or perform the time integral to double check.

I used the diagram to show how often the electrons on the green path are moving faster than the purple path. The yellow bars on the lorentz force line represent times when "green" electrons exceed the top speed of the purple electrons. I think this answers my question because now I realize that the red areas are when electrons in both paths are moving at the same velocity.
Electron Path2.png
 

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