Deflection of bullet by Earth's magnetic field

Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
1 reply · 4K views
jkulier
Messages
1
Reaction score
0

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.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
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?