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Is the magnetic field always perpendicular to velocity of a positively charged particle?
When using the RHR, is the above always true? For example, if the magnetic field is pointing towards the page (so my fingers are pointing away from my body) does this mean that a positively charged particle will always deflect to the left? Or is it possible for a particle to deflect towards the page as well?
I just need clarification.
1 Answer
- 7 years agoFavorite Answer
Actually no. It is always perpendicular to the ACCELERATION of the charged particle.
F = ma = qv x B, meaning a = (q/m)v x b. Thus, the right hand rule tells us the particle's acceleration direction, not its velocity. We take the v and B directions as input to the RHR, and produce the direction of a as the ouput.
To your second question, the deflection depends on the particle's velocity relative to the B field. The particle could deflect in any direction on the plane perpendicular to the B field, depending on its velocity, based on the right hand rule. It cannot deflect towards the page because the right hand rule gives a result perpendicular to both inputs, B and v.
