Magnetic Force on a Particle at Zero Velocity

In summary, the conversation discusses a situation where an electron is moving with a velocity of v=(2.0*10^6 m/s)i + (3.0*10^6 m/s)j in a constant magnetic field with strength e=(0.030T)i - (0.15T)j. The question is what is the magnitude of the magnetic force on the electron at that moment. After some calculations, the person realizes that there is no magnetic force unless the particle has a velocity, resulting in the answer being zero.
  • #1
RunsWithKnives
5
0
ok I'm stuck here...

At a particular point in time, an electron is moving with a velocity of
v=(2.0*10^6 m/s)i + (3.0*10^6 m/s)j

in a constant magnetic field with strength
e=(0.030T)i - (0.15T)j

What is the magnitude of the magnetic force on the electron at that moment? this i found by taking the cross product and multiplying by charge of an electron 6.246e-14N

The electron moves into an area where an electric field is used to bring its velocity to zero in 4.5 X 10-2 seconds. At the moment when the velocity of the particle is zero, what is the magnitude of the magnetic force on the particle?

this is where I'm stuck... i thought that vf = vi + at would give me the acceleration which I could then multiply by the mass of an electron (F=ma)... which would give me F... I know I'm probably missing something elementary here

so I got the magnitude of acceleration by taking the squares of both components of velocity and than the square root... as in sqrt(i^2 + j^2) = v
which gave me 1.3e13 m/s

so then I got 0 m/s = 1.3e13 m/s + a (4.5e-2 s)

a=-2.888e14 m/s^2

F= (9.110e-31 kg)*(2.888e14 m/s^2)

F=2.632e-16 N

so what am i missing?? thanks :grumpy:
 
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  • #2
RunsWithKnives said:
ok I'm stuck here...

so I got the magnitude of acceleration by taking the squares of both components of velocity and than the square root... as in sqrt(i^2 + j^2) = v
which gave me 1.3e13 m/s :grumpy:

Haven't read it all but I think you forgot to take the square root here...so really,
|v| = 3.6 e6 m/s
 
  • #3
Gokul43201 said:
Haven't read it all but I think you forgot to take the square root here...so really,
|v| = 3.6 e6 m/s

stupid mistake :yuck: ... changes my answer to 7.299e-23 N... which still isn't right... any other ideas ?? :confused:

edit: I'm guessing that I'm missing something obvious... I'm supposed to do this using vectors since F = q VxB ... right?? this was how I did the first part... I'll try again in the morning.. too tired to think :zzz:
 
Last edited:
  • #4
RunsWithKnives said:
ok I'm stuck here...

At the moment when the velocity of the particle is zero, what is the magnitude of the magnetic force on the particle? :grumpy:

Either you've not copied the question down correctly, OR there are more sub-questions following this OR it's a trick question. :wink:

Look at it again : "What is the magnetic force when the velocity is zero ?" :smile:
 
  • #5
Hi

Does the region where the electric field declerates the particle, also include the magnetic field? Otherwise, the magnetic force + direction at the point of entry into this new region can be computed using the Lorentz force definition. The electric field must have a magnitude and direction so as to bring down the velocity to zero.

Now at the point the velocity becomes zero, the acceleration is nonzero. But now your answer depends on whether B is operating in that region or not. If it is not operating, then qv(cross)B is the magnetic force and it is zero irrespective of whether v is zero or not. Note that the total force is always qv(cross)B + qE where E is the electric field (the trivial case is that one of the fields is zero, when the Lorentz force reduces to either the magnetic force expression or the electric force one).

Cheers
Vivek
 
  • #6
Gokul43201 said:
Either you've not copied the question down correctly, OR there are more sub-questions following this OR it's a trick question. :wink:

Look at it again : "What is the magnetic force when the velocity is zero ?" :smile:

it was a trick question... I am soo angry right now... there is no magnetic force unless the particle has a velocity... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH :cry:
the answer is zero!
 

1. What is magnetic force on a particle?

Magnetic force on a particle is the force exerted on a charged particle by a magnetic field. It is a vector quantity that is perpendicular to both the direction of motion of the particle and the direction of the magnetic field.

2. How is magnetic force on a particle calculated?

The magnetic force on a particle can be calculated using the equation F = qvBsinθ, where q is the charge of the particle, v is its velocity, B is the strength of the magnetic field, and θ is the angle between the velocity and the magnetic field.

3. What is the direction of magnetic force on a particle?

The direction of magnetic force on a particle is always perpendicular to both the direction of motion of the particle and the direction of the magnetic field. This means that it can change the direction of the particle's motion but not its speed.

4. How does the strength of the magnetic field affect the magnetic force on a particle?

The strength of the magnetic field directly affects the magnitude of the magnetic force on a particle. The stronger the magnetic field, the greater the force on the particle will be.

5. Can magnetic force on a particle be used to change the trajectory of a particle?

Yes, magnetic force on a particle can be used to change the trajectory of a particle. This is the basis for technologies such as particle accelerators, where magnetic fields are used to control and manipulate the paths of charged particles.

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