What Determines the Proximity of a Proton to an Infinitely Charged Line?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a physics problem involving an infinitely long line of charge with a linear charge density and a proton moving toward it. The original poster seeks to determine how close the proton can get to the line of charge, referencing equations related to kinetic energy and electric potential energy.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the derivation of the final equation used by the original poster, questioning its source and the need for a derivation. There is an exploration of the relationship between kinetic energy and electric potential energy, with inquiries about the role of Euler's Number in the context of the problem.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with some participants providing guidance on solving the integral related to the potential from a line of charge. Others express confusion about the evaluation of the integral and the implications of infinity in the context of the problem.

Contextual Notes

Participants are navigating the complexities of deriving equations from lecture notes and addressing the assumptions underlying the problem, particularly regarding the limits of integration and the interpretation of potential differences.

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Homework Statement



An infinitely long line of charge has a linear charge density of λ C/m. A proton is at distance d m from the line and is moving directly toward the line with speed v m/s.
How close does the proton get to the line of charge?

Homework Equations



\Delta KE = W = -\Delta U
\frac{1}{2}m(v_{2})^{2}-\frac{1}{2}m(v_{1})^{2}=\frac{q_{1}q_{2}}{4\pi \epsilon _{0}r_{2}}-\frac{q_{1}q_{2}}{4\pi \epsilon _{0}r_{1}}

Potential difference at distance d from an infinite line of charge: V=\frac{\lambda }{4\pi \epsilon _{0}}\int_{0}^{\infty }\frac{dx}{\sqrt{x^{2}+d^{2}}}

Distance from the infinite wire that the electron can reach before being stopped:

r=d\times e^{\frac{-m(v)^{2}4\pi \epsilon _{0}}{\lambda q}}

Where e is Euler's Number.

The Attempt at a Solution



The equation is correct as when I substitutes numbers into it I got the correct answer but how is it derived?
 
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Where did you get the final equation from? If it's the book answer, you are asking us to do your homework for you. You need to show some attempt.
 
haruspex said:
Where did you get the final equation from? If it's the book answer, you are asking us to do your homework for you. You need to show some attempt.

The question does not ask me to derive the equation that I got there, it asks me to find the distance that the proton can reach before being repelled and I found it using that equation. I found the equation in the lecture notes but the derivation isn't shown so I would like to at least know where to start to derive it.

I know it has to do with equating the kinetic energy and electric potential energy but what do I have to do after that? Where do I get Euler's Number from?
 
The integral you quote for the potential from a line of charge can be solved. Put x = d tan(θ), leading to the integral of sec(θ). That integral has a ln() function.
Euler's constant is the base of natural logarithms. The equation y = ln(x) can be rewritten x = ey.
Does that help, or do you want the full derivation?
 
I get infinity when I evaluate that integral though.
 
Alexander2357 said:
I get infinity when I evaluate that integral though.
The infinity can be avoided by taking limits in the right order, and bearing in mind that what you want in the end is the potential difference between two distances from the wire. See http://www.math.oregonstate.edu/BridgeBook/book/physics/vlineinf
 

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