Question

The direction of deflection of an electron beam in a magnetic field can be determined by which of the following?

Answer 1

Answer:

Right Hand Rule

Explanation:

When a charged particle travels in a magnetic field, it experiences a force whose magnitude is given by:

$F=qvBsin\theta$

where

q is the charge of the particle

v is the velocity

B is the magnetic field strength

$\theta$ is the angle between the directions of v and B

The direction of the force can be determined by using the Right Hand Rule, as follows:

- index finger: this should be put in the direction of the velocity

- middle finger: this should be put in the direction of the magnetic field

- thumb: this will give the direction of the force -> however, for a negative charge (as the electron) the direction must be reversed, so it will be opposite.