Electron movement in a stationary magnetic field

In summary, an electron can be manipulated by a magnetic field, but it is not clear which polarity of the magnet "pushes" and which "pulls." Mike has had the same situation before, in which the spark jumped to the magnet from the negative terminal. Re-aligning the magnet will cause different conditions.
  • #1
toppentech
2
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howdy : I'm new to this site and i have not used a forum before so this is probably going to be stupid . if so ---sorry . anyway if i have a metal magnet (ie neodymium) connected to the positive of a high voltage source and a metal pin connected to the negative of the high voltage source with it being arranged so that a spark will jump from the pin to the magnet ------ which end of the magnet should it jump toward . in otherwords is the electron that is jumping the spark gap more attrected toward the north or south pole of the magnet .
all i see in most explanations is that an electron can be manipulated by a magnetic field BUT it never says which polarity of the magnet "pushes" and which "pulls" . i am trying to build a simple magnetically quenched spark gap for a tesla type coil apparatus . thanks for putting up with us simple folks mike
 
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  • #2
an electron can be manipulated by a magnetic field

diagrams of magnetic field lines here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_field


The force on a particle is given by F = qv x B where F,v, and B are vectors...

By convention, the magnetic field exits the magnetic from the north and re-enters at the south pole..
A postive particle therefore moves according to the right hand rule...and

an electron would be a -q, so it would move opposite...in either case a charged particle
moves othogonally to the magnetic field lines...not in alignment with them...not a good vechicle for a 'switch'...
 
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  • #3
The electrons are not attracted to one end of the magnet. The beam will bend perpendicular to the magnetic field of the magnet.
 
  • #4
#3 is to the point... I forgot to add that to my post...but realigning the magnet will cause
different conditions as I detailed...
 
  • #5
thanks for your reply . in the past i have had the above described situation , and the spark (from negative terminal) would jump to the magnet . the mag was 2 x 2 x 1 thick (magnetized thru thickness) . the spark would jump , on a curve, way over to the face of the magnet , but i at the time , wasn't smart enough to write it down somewhere which pole the spark preferred . the switch i was mentioning earlier is a magnetically quenched spark gap , which was invented/patented by nicoli tesla in the early 1900s . the idea is that there is a spark gap with a huge mag field perpendicular to it . when a spark is started across the gap it "rides" ionized air which is extinguished by the mag field as it pulls the spark apart toward opposite mag poles . ----as i understand it --- thanks mike
 

1. How does an electron move in a stationary magnetic field?

An electron moves in a stationary magnetic field due to the Lorentz force. This force acts perpendicular to both the direction of the electron's motion and the direction of the magnetic field. As a result, the electron moves in a circular path around the magnetic field lines.

2. Is the electron's speed affected by the magnetic field?

Yes, the electron's speed is affected by the magnetic field. As the magnetic field lines exert a force on the electron, it will accelerate in the direction perpendicular to its motion. This acceleration will cause the electron to move in a circular path at a constant speed.

3. How does the strength of the magnetic field affect the electron's path?

The strength of the magnetic field greatly affects the electron's path. A stronger magnetic field will result in a smaller radius of the electron's circular motion, while a weaker magnetic field will result in a larger radius. This is because the force exerted by the magnetic field is directly proportional to the strength of the field.

4. What happens to the electron's path when the magnetic field is turned off?

When the magnetic field is turned off, the Lorentz force acting on the electron is no longer present. As a result, the electron will continue to move in a straight line with its original velocity, as there is no longer a force to change its path.

5. How does the direction of the magnetic field affect the direction of the electron's path?

The direction of the magnetic field affects the direction of the electron's path due to the right-hand rule. The direction of the magnetic field will determine the direction of the force exerted on the electron, which will in turn determine the direction of its circular path. If the direction of the magnetic field is reversed, the direction of the electron's circular motion will also be reversed.

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