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Give two ways of deflecting a beam of electrons. - Leaving Cert Physics - Question (h) - 2008
Question (h)
Give two ways of deflecting a beam of electrons.
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Give two ways of deflecting a beam of electrons. - Leaving Cert Physics - Question (h) - 2008
Step 1
By means of an electric field
Answer
An electric field can be used to deflect a beam of electrons due to the force experienced by the charge in the field. When an electron enters an electric field, it experiences a force given by where
- is the charge of the electron,
- is the electric field strength. This results in a change in velocity and direction of the electron beam.
Step 2
and a magnetic field
Answer
A magnetic field can also deflect a beam of electrons. The electrons experience a magnetic force given by the equation where
- is the charge of the electron,
- is the velocity vector of the electron,
- is the magnetic field vector. This force acts perpendicular to both the velocity of the electrons and the direction of the magnetic field, resulting in a circular or helical motion.