What is the force exerted on an electron when it is in an electric field of strength 5 N C⁻¹? - Leaving Cert Physics - Question (1) - 2008

To find the force ( F ) exerted on an electron in an electric field ( E ), we use the formula:

$F = E imes q$

where:

E is the electric field strength (in N C⁻¹)

q is the charge of the electron, which has a value of approximately 1.6 imes 10^{-19} C.

Given that the electric field strength is E = 5 ext{ N C}^{-1}, we can substitute the values into the equation:

$F = 5 ext{ N C}^{-1} imes (1.6 imes 10^{-19} ext{ C})$

Now we perform the multiplication:

$F = 8.0 imes 10^{-19} ext{ N}$

Thus, the force exerted on the electron in the given electric field is 8.0 imes 10^{-19} ext{ N}.