The discussion centers on calculating the force on a charged particle in a magnetic field using the formula F = q(v x B). The particle has a charge of -3.64 nC and a velocity of 2.75 x 10^3 m/s in the i direction, while the magnetic field is given as 0.75 T in the i direction and 0.75 T in the k direction. The confusion arises from the sign of the force, as the participant initially misinterprets the cross product and the effect of the negative charge. Ultimately, the participant realizes that the negative charge results in a force direction opposite to that of a positive charge.
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OMG I'm so stupid I completely forgot about that, been too long since I did cross products. thanks a lotcepheid said:I think that i x k = -j, just as you do. However, another negative sign enters into the equation by means of q, which is intrinsically negative here. Negative charges will move in the opposite direction of positive charges.