The discussion revolves around the motion of an electron in a parallel plate capacitor, focusing on the concepts of acceleration, electric force, and kinematics. Participants are exploring how to derive the acceleration of the electron and its relationship to the forces acting on it.
Some participants have provided hints and guidance on using kinematic equations and Newton's Second Law to approach the problem. There is an ongoing exploration of how to connect the concepts of electric force and acceleration, with no explicit consensus reached yet.
There is mention of previous threads that may have provided insights, but the current participants express uncertainty about the next steps after determining acceleration. The discussion reflects a lack of complete information regarding the relationship between electric force and acceleration in this specific scenario.
hotcommodity said:I believe the posters in the previous thread hinted at the strategy quite nicely, but I suppose I'll detail it a bit more. First note the equations for kinematics. Let's define the vertical direction as our y-direction, and the horizontal direction as our x-direction. What is happening to the electron in the x-direction in terms of force (and subsequently accelertion)? Consider the same for the y-direction. You should be able to use these kinematic equations to find the acceleration of the electron. Then consider Newton's Second Law, and how the acceleration fits into this equation. This will allow you to find the net force, which is an electric force (hint hint). How can you write down the electric force in terms of the charge of the particle and the electric field?
selter01 said:I have the acceleration, but nothing else makes sense after that. Care to explain?