The solar wind is a thin, hot gas given off by the sun. Charged particles in thi

Question

The solar wind is a thin, hot gas given off by the sun. Charged particles in this gas enter the magnetic field of the earth and can experience a magnetic force. Suppose a charged particle traveling with a speed of 8.82E+6 m/s encounters the earth's magnetic field at an altitude where the field has a magnitude of 1.14E-7 T. Assuming that the particle's velocity is perpendicular to the magnetic field, calculate the radius of the circular path on which the particle would move if it were an electron.

Explanation / Answer

centripetal force acting on a electron in a circular = Magnetic force

mv2/r = qvB

r = mv/qB

= 9.11x10-31x8.82x106/1.6x10-19x1.14x10-7

r = 440.5m

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