Charged Particles in Electric Field
Observe the trajectories of charged particles in a uniform electrostatic field
5.0 N/C
1.0x
Particle 1: Positive charge
Particle 2: Negative charge
Particle 3: Highest q/m ratio
Physics Principles
In a uniform electric field (E), charged particles experience a force:
F = qE (Force on charged particle)
a = qE/m (Acceleration of particle)
a = qE/m (Acceleration of particle)
- Positive charges accelerate in the direction of the field
- Negative charges accelerate opposite to the field direction
- The curvature of the trajectory depends on the charge-to-mass ratio (q/m)
- Higher q/m ratio results in greater curvature for the same initial velocity
Key Observations
- Particle 1 is positively charged (deflects toward negative plate)
- Particle 2 is negatively charged (deflects toward positive plate)
- Particle 3 has the highest charge-to-mass ratio (shows greatest deflection)
