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Find the potential difference needed to reduce the kinetic energy of an electron by a factor of 5?
A) An electron has an initial speed of 4.50×106 m/s. What potential difference (sign and magnitude) is required to bring the electron to rest?
-57.6 V (this is correct)
B) what potential difference is required to reduce the Kinetic energy of the electron be a factor of 5 compared with the initial value?
*** I multiplied my answer for A by 1/5 and it is incorrect
C) What potential difference is required to reduce the speed of the electron be a factor of 5 compared to the initial speed?
*** I tried multiplying my answer for A by 1/25th and this is incorrect ...
PLEASE HELP :(
2 Answers
- ?Lv 78 years agoFavorite Answer
In part a) the kinetic energy is reduced from 100% to 0%. This corresponds to -57.6V (taking your answer as correct).
In part b) the kinetic energy is reduced from 100% to 20% (a factor of 5), which is an 80% loss of kinetic energy. The change is 80/100 = 4/5 of the energy change occurring in part a). So the answer is (4/5)x(-57.6)V.
In part c) kinetic energy is proportional to v². If the initial kinetic energy is 100%, the final kinetic energy is 100/5² = 4%, which is a 96% loss of kinetic energy. The change is 96/100 = 0.96 of the energy change occurring in part a). So the answer is 0.96x(-57.6)V.
- ?Lv 68 years ago
I think you mean 4.5e6 m/s. This is very close to the speed of light, so the effects of relativity have to be taken into account. But let's ignore relativity first...
Find the kinetic energy of the particle:
K = (1/2)mv^2 (ignoring relativity)
K = 57.5eV
To stop it, a potential difference must be applied that will reduce the kinetic energy to 0. In other words, it will have to be negative.
V = -K/e = -57.5eV
This answer isn't correct though because relativity must be taken into account:
Find the relativistic kinetic energy:
K = sqrt( (pc)^2 + (mc^2)^2 ) - mc^2
p = mv = 4.19e-24 kg m/s
K = 57.6eV
V = -K/e = -57.6V