Deflection of bullet by Earth's magnetic field

AI Thread Summary
A bullet with a mass of 0.0034 kg and a charge of 13.5E-9 C travels at 160 m/s perpendicular to Earth's magnetic field of 5E-5 T. The initial calculations for the radius of the bullet's circular path yielded an incorrect value, leading to an inaccurate deflection distance after traveling 1000 m. The discussion suggests applying the Lorentz magnetic force law to determine the bullet's acceleration for a more accurate deflection calculation. The proposed method involves using the relationship between the magnetic force and the resulting motion to refine the deflection estimate. This approach could provide a clearer understanding of the bullet's trajectory influenced by the magnetic field.
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Homework Statement



A 0.0034kg bullet moves with a speed of 160 m/s perpendicular to the Earth's magnetic field of 5E-5 T. If the bullet has a net charge of 13.5E-9 C, by what distance is it deflected due to the magnetic field after it has traveled 1000m?

Homework Equations



radius = mv/qB
theta = arc length/radius

The Attempt at a Solution



First, I found the radius of the circle via: r = (mv)/qB = 8.1E11

Next, I found theta using the arc length of the circle traveled by the bullet divided by the radius of that circle: theta = arc/radius = 1000/8.1E11

Finally, to find the distance it's deflected, I used the triangle approach: tan(theta) = x/1000

However, my answer is incorrect. Any ideas would be great,
thanks in advance.
 
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Just wondering why you wouldn't apply the Lorentz magnetic force law to identify the acceleration the bullet would be subjected to and than apply that to figure deflection?
 

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