Electric Field for the circular path of a positively charged particle

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the behavior of electric fields around charged particles, specifically regarding a positively charged particle in circular motion. The initial assumption was that a positively charged test charge would move towards an electron, suggesting the electric field would be directed differently than indicated by the correct answer, A. It was noted that centripetal force, which keeps an object in circular motion, always points toward the center, regardless of the type of force involved. The conversation also highlighted the distinction between the direction of electric field lines and the actual motion of charged particles, emphasizing that field lines indicate force direction rather than velocity. Ultimately, the confusion arose from correlating electric fields with particle motion in a circular path.
Aaryan34532
Messages
10
Reaction score
1
Homework Statement
If a positively charged particle follows a circular path as shown below what will the electric field be out of the options below.
Relevant Equations
No equations. this is supposedly intuition.
Here is picture. Answers is A.
Screen Shot 2019-08-29 at 21.56.26.png
My attempt was that I thought if i were to place a positive test charge then it would go from top to bottom if there was a positive charge in the center it was avoiding and a positively charged particle at the top, but an electron at the bottom so it would avoid the positively charged particles and head for the electron thus the electric field would look like B and that's exactly how a positively charged particle would also do so.

But then the answer was A and i got thinking to how in circular motion there is centripetal force towards center, but honestly since this is electric fields i feel weird to correlate these and don't feel so correct.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
A force that keeps an object on a circular path with constant speed is always directed towards the center of the circle, no matter whether it's gravitational or electromagnetic. In more advanced electromagnetic theory it will also be considered that the charged particle will radiate off energy and spiral down to the center of the orbit.
 
hilbert2 said:
A force that keeps an object on a circular path with constant speed is always directed towards the center of the circle, no matter whether it's gravitational or electromagnetic. In more advanced electromagnetic theory it will also be considered that the charged particle will radiate off energy and spiral down to the center of the orbit.

how i visualize fields is with a positive test charge, so in this environment wherever the test charge goes is the electric field lines.. if the electric field lines show positive test charges going towards that one area where it looks like they're attracted to a negative then in reality won't the positively charged particle do the exact same thing? That is why I thought it was B because electric field lines and positively charged particle will act similarily.
 
The field lines tell the direction of force, not the direction of velocity.
 
I multiplied the values first without the error limit. Got 19.38. rounded it off to 2 significant figures since the given data has 2 significant figures. So = 19. For error I used the above formula. It comes out about 1.48. Now my question is. Should I write the answer as 19±1.5 (rounding 1.48 to 2 significant figures) OR should I write it as 19±1. So in short, should the error have same number of significant figures as the mean value or should it have the same number of decimal places as...
Thread 'Collision of a bullet on a rod-string system: query'
In this question, I have a question. I am NOT trying to solve it, but it is just a conceptual question. Consider the point on the rod, which connects the string and the rod. My question: just before and after the collision, is ANGULAR momentum CONSERVED about this point? Lets call the point which connects the string and rod as P. Why am I asking this? : it is clear from the scenario that the point of concern, which connects the string and the rod, moves in a circular path due to the string...
Thread 'A cylinder connected to a hanging mass'
Let's declare that for the cylinder, mass = M = 10 kg Radius = R = 4 m For the wall and the floor, Friction coeff = ##\mu## = 0.5 For the hanging mass, mass = m = 11 kg First, we divide the force according to their respective plane (x and y thing, correct me if I'm wrong) and according to which, cylinder or the hanging mass, they're working on. Force on the hanging mass $$mg - T = ma$$ Force(Cylinder) on y $$N_f + f_w - Mg = 0$$ Force(Cylinder) on x $$T + f_f - N_w = Ma$$ There's also...
Back
Top