An electron falls through a distance of 1.5 cm in a uniform electric field of magnitude 2.0 × 104 N C–1 [Fig. 1.10(a)]. The direction of the field is reversed keeping its magnitude unchanged and a proton falls through the same distance [Fig. 1.10(b)]. Compute the time of fall in each case. Contrast the situation with that of ‘free fall under gravity’.
The electric force on a charged _particle in an electric _field is : F = qE where F is the force on the particle, q is the charge on the particle, and E is the electric field strength. For an electron with charge q = -1.6 × 10^-19 C, falling through a distance of 1.5 cm in an electric field of magnitude E = 2.0 × 10^4 N C^-1, the force on the electron is: F = qE = -1.6 × 10^-19 C × 2.0 × 10^4 N C^-1 = -3.2 × 10^-15 N Since the force is in the opposite direction to the motion of the electron, it slows down the electron's fall. The acceleration of the electron is: a = F/m where m is the mass of the electron, which is 9.11 × 10^-31 kg. a = -3.2 × 10^-15 N / 9.11 × 10^-31 kg = -3.52 × 10^15 m s^-2 The negative sign(-ve) indicates that the acceleration is in the opposite direction to the electric field. Using the equation of motion for uniformly accelerated motion, the time taken by the electron to fall through a distance of 1.5 cm is: s = (1/2)at^2 where s =distance fallen & t = t