Question

An electron in a vacuum chamber is fired with a speed of 7400 km/s toward a large, uniformly charged plate 75 cm away. The electron reaches a closest distance of 15 cm before being repelled.
What is the plate's surface charge density?

Answer 1

Answer:

2.29e-9C/m²

Explanation:

Using E = σ/ε₀ means the force on the electron is F = eE = eσ/ε₀.

The work done on the electron is W = Fd = deσ/ε₀. This equals the kinetic energy lost, ½mv².

½mv² = deσ/ε₀

d = 75cm – 15cm = 60cm = 0.6m

σ = mv²ε₀/(2de)

. .= 9.11e-31 * (7.4e6)² * 8.85e-12 / (2 * 0.6 * 1.6e-19)

. .= 2.29e-9 C/m² (i.e. 2.29x10^-9 C/m²)