Question Details

A strong magnetic field is applied on a stationary electron:

Options

A

The electron moves in the direction of the field

B

The electron moves in an opposite direction


C

The electron remains stationary


D

The electron starts spinning


Show Answer

Correct Answer :

Option C

The electron remains stationary


Solution :

The correct option is: The electron remains stationary

To understand why this is the case, we can analyze the magnetic force acting on a charged particle moving through a magnetic field.

The magnetic force acting on a moving charged particle is given by the Lorentz force formula:
F = q ( v × B )

Where:
- q is the electric charge of the particle (for an electron, this is -e).
- v is the velocity vector of the particle.
- B is the magnetic field vector.
- × represents the vector cross product.

The magnitude of this magnetic force can be written as:
F = | q | v B sin ( θ )
where θ is the angle between the velocity vector and the magnetic field vector.

In this problem, the electron is described as stationary. This means its velocity is zero:
v = 0

Substituting v = 0 into the force magnitude equation:
F = | q | ( 0 ) B sin ( θ ) = 0

Since the net magnetic force acting on the stationary electron is zero, there is no force to accelerate it or initiate any motion. Therefore, the electron experiences no force and remains stationary.

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