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Consider the motion of a charged particle of mass m and charge q in an electric

ID: 3113278 • Letter: C

Question

Consider the motion of a charged particle of mass m and charge q in an electric field.

Consider the motion of a charged particle of mass m and charge q in an electric field (for example, in a cathode ray tube or a CRT monitor). In the absence of a magnetic field and gravity, the force exerted on the particle due to a constant electric field with strength E is given by F = qE Suppose there are two plates of length l that create a constant electric field E_0 pointing in the negative y direction, that is E= E_0y See the figure below. Furthermore, suppose that when the particle enters the plate region, it is moving in the positive x direction at a constant velocity v_0. (a) Find the position functions x(t) and y(t), assuming that the plate region starts at (x, y) = (0, 0). (b) Suppose that when the particle leaves the region, it has been vertically displaced by an amount Delta_y. What is the charge q? Assume that the plates are far enough apart so that the particle actually leaves the region. (c) Compute y(t) when we account for gravitational forces.

Explanation / Answer

(a) Initially, velocity in x direction and y direction are

V0x = v0=constant, V0y = 0

After time t, velocity in Y direction becomes, Vy =1/2 ayt ( from v = u+at)

Where ay = - E0q/m, since force on particle = -E0q

Thus, x(t) = v0t and y(t) = 1/2 ayt2 = 1/2(-qE0/m)(x/v0)2

As, t = x/v0, thus, y(t) = 1/2(-qE0/m)(x2/v02)

(b) Putting y(t) = y and x =l in equation of y(t) we get

y =1/2(-qE0/m)(l2/v02),

Hence, q = -(2ymv02/E0l2)