A long straight wire carries a certain current and produces a magnetic field 2 10-4 Wb m-2 at a perpendicular distance of 5 cm from the wire. An electron situated at 5 cm from the wire moves with a velocity 107 m/s towards the wire along perpendicular to it. The force experienced by the electron will be (charge on electron 1.6 10-19 C)
- 3.2 N
- 3.2 10-16 N
- 1.6 10-16 N
- zero
Answer
(2) 3.2 10-16 N
Solution
The field of a straight wire is circular, so at the electron it is perpendicular to the radial velocity: = 90
F = evB 90
= 1.6 10-19 107 2 10-4
= 3.2 10-16 N
Answer: (2)