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Please Help with Electron Moving to make Electric Field?

An electron in a uniform electric field increases its speed from 3.180E+7 m/s to 6.360E+7 m/s over a distance of 4.74 cm. What is the electric field strength (in N/C)?

2 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Use the force on the electron by a an electric field strrength of E:

    F = qE = ma

    Now you know the initial, v0, and final. vf, speeds and the distance, x, it moved between those speeds, so you can find acceleration,a from

    x = (vf^2 -v0^2)/(2a) ---> a = (vf^2 -v0^2)/(2x)

    So the field strength is

    E = (m/q) (vf^2 -v0^2)/(2x) where q = -1.6x10^-19 Coul and m = 9.11x10^-31 kg

  • DaveWH
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    Recall that,

    E = F / q

    F = ma

    a = (change in velocity) / (time taken for the change)

    To find the time we use the equation of motion which says that,

    Distance = (change in velocity / 2) * t

    t = 2 * distance /( change in velocity) = 2 * x / ∆v

    Putting all this together we have

    E = m * ∆v / q t = m * ∆v * ∆v / q ( 2 * x)

    so,

    ∆v = (6.36 - 3.18) * E +7 = 3.18 * E +7 m/s

    x = 0.0474 m

    m = 9.109 × E -31 kg

    q = - 1.6 E - 19 C

    If we find just the magnitude of the E-field, we can ignore the minus sign of the electron charge.

    E = (9.109 × E + -31 ) * (3.18 * E +7)^2 / (1.6 E - 19 ) * (2 * 0.0474 )

    E = 6073 * E + 2 = 607300 = 6.073 E +5 N/C

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