- 2019:
A long straight wire carries a current of 2A. An electron travels with a speed of 4 * 10^7 ms^-1 parallel to the wire at a distance of 2.0 cm from it. Calculate the force acting on the electron.
The force acting on the electron is given by:
F = q v B
where q is the charge of the electron, v is its velocity, and B is the magnetic field.
In this case, q = 1.6 * 10^-19 C, v = 4 * 10^7 ms^-1, and B = 2 * 10^-5 T.
Therefore, the force acting on the electron is:
F = (1.6 * 10^-19 C) * (4 * 10^7 ms^-1) * (2 * 10^-5 T) = 1.28 * 10^-14 N
This force is very small, but it is enough to deflect the electron’s path.
