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Ch 21: Electric Charge and Electric Field
Chapter 21, Problem 21

CP A proton is traveling horizontally to the right at 4.50 * 10^6 m/s. (c) What minimum field (magnitude and direction) would be needed to stop an electron under the conditions of part (a)?

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1
Identify the charge and mass of the electron. The charge of an electron is -1.602 x 10^-19 coulombs, and its mass is 9.109 x 10^-31 kilograms.
Understand that to stop the electron, a magnetic field must exert a force equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the electron's momentum. The force exerted by a magnetic field on a charged particle is given by the Lorentz force equation: F = qvB, where q is the charge, v is the velocity, and B is the magnetic field.
Calculate the initial momentum of the electron using the formula p = mv, where m is the mass and v is the velocity of the electron.
Set the magnetic force equal to the electron's initial momentum to find the minimum magnetic field required to stop the electron. Rearrange the Lorentz force equation to solve for B: B = p / (qv).
Determine the direction of the magnetic field. According to the right-hand rule, if the velocity of the electron is to the right and the force needs to be to the left to stop it, the magnetic field should be directed into the page (perpendicular to the direction of the electron's velocity).

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Electric Field

An electric field is a region around a charged particle where other charged particles experience a force. The strength of the electric field (E) is defined as the force (F) per unit charge (q), expressed as E = F/q. In this context, the electric field is crucial for determining the force needed to stop the electron, which is influenced by its charge and the field's direction.
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Force on a Charged Particle

The force acting on a charged particle in an electric field is given by F = qE, where q is the charge of the particle and E is the electric field strength. For an electron, which has a negative charge, the direction of the force will be opposite to that of the electric field. Understanding this relationship is essential for calculating the minimum field required to stop the electron.
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Kinematics of Charged Particles

Kinematics involves the study of motion without considering the forces that cause it. For charged particles like electrons, their motion can be described using equations of motion, which relate velocity, acceleration, and displacement. In this scenario, knowing the initial velocity of the electron and the required final velocity (zero) allows us to determine the necessary acceleration and, consequently, the electric field needed to achieve this.
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