9/16/2015

MasteringPhysics:Ch21HW

TheTrajectoryofaChargeinanElectricField
Anchargewithmassmandchargeq isemittedfromtheorigin,(x, y) = (0, 0) .Alarge,flatscreenislocatedat
x = L .Thereisatargetonthescreenatyposition y h ,where y h > 0 .Inthisproblem,youwillexaminetwodifferent
waysthatthechargemighthitthetarget.Ignoregravityinthisproblem.

PartA
Assumethatthechargeisemittedwithvelocityv 0 inthepositivexdirection.Betweentheoriginandthescreen,
thechargetravelsthroughaconstantelectricfieldpointinginthepositiveydirection.Whatshouldthemagnitude
E oftheelectricfieldbeifthechargeistohitthetargetonthescreen?
Expressyouranswerintermsofm,q ,yh ,v 0 ,andL.

Hint1.Howtoapproachtheproblem
Onceyoudeterminetheforceonthechargeduetotheelectricfield,thisbecomesastandardtwo
dimensionalkinematicsproblem.Tosolvetheproblem,firstdeterminetheequationsofmotioninboththex
andydirections.Thenusethefactthatatsomefinaltimetf inal youknowthatthepositionofthechargeis
(L, y ) toobtaintwoequationsintermsofthetwounknowns E and t f inal .Eliminate t f inal andsolvefor
h
E.

Hint2.Findtheequationofmotioninthexdirection
Findanexpressionforx(t),thecharge'sxpositionasafunctionoftime.
Expressyouranswerintermsoftaswellasanyofthegivenvariablesandconstants.

Hint1.Findtheforceinthexdirection
WhatnetforceFx doesthechargeexperienceinthexdirection?

Hint1.Formulafortheforceonachargeinanelectricfield
TheformulafortheforceF onachargeq inanelectricfieldEis

F = qE

ANSWER:
Fx

= 0

Hint2.Ahelpfulkinematicequation
Recallthatkinematicequationthatgivesthedistances travelledintermsoftheinitialvelocityu,
theaccelerationa andelapsedtimetis
s = ut +

1
2

at

ANSWER:
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MasteringPhysics:Ch21HW
x(t)

v0 t

Hint3.Findtheequationofmotionintheydirection
Findanexpressionfory(t) ,thecharge'sypositionasafunctionoftime.
Expressyouranswerintermsoftaswellasanyofthegivenvariablesandconstants.

Hint1.Findtheforceintheydirection
Whatisthenetforceactingonthechargeintheydirection?
Expressyouranswerintermsofthegivenvariablesandconstants.

Hint1.Formulafortheforceonachargeinanelectricfield
TheformulafortheforceF onachargeq inanelectricfieldEis

F = qE

ANSWER:
Fy

qE

Hint2.Ahelpfulkinematicequation
Recallthatkinematicequationthatgivesthedistances travelledintermsoftheinitialvelocityu,
theaccelerationa andelapsedtimetis
s = ut +

1
2

at

ANSWER:
y(t)

qE

Hint4.CombineYourResults
Atsomefinaltimetf inal ,youhavex(tf inal )
eliminatetf inal andsolveforE .

= L

andy(tf inal )

= y

.Startingwiththesetwoequations,

Hint5.Findt f inal
Usetheequationforthemotionofthechargeinthexdirectiontofindtf inal .
Expressyouranswerintermsofthevariablesv 0 andL.
ANSWER:
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MasteringPhysics:Ch21HW

t f inal

v0

ANSWER:
2my h

q(

L
v

Correct

PartB
Nowassumethatthechargeisemittedwithvelocityv 0 inthepositiveydirection.Betweentheoriginandthe
screen,thechargetravelsthroughaconstantelectricfieldpointinginthepositivexdirection.Whatshouldthe
magnitudeE oftheelectricfieldbeifthechargeistohitthetargetonthescreen?
Expressyouranswerintermsofm,q ,yh ,v 0 ,andL.

Hint1.Howtoapproachtheproblem
Justasinthepreviouspart,onceyoudeterminetheforceonthechargeduetotheelectricfield,this
becomesastandardtwodimensionalkinematicsproblem.Tosolvetheproblem,firstdeterminethe
equationsofmotioninboththexandydirections.Thenusethefactthatatsomefinaltimetf inal youknow
thatthepositionofthechargeis(L, yh ) toobtaintwoequationsintermsofthetwounknownsE and
t f inal .Eliminate t f inal andsolvefor E .

Hint2.Findtheequationofmotionintheydirection
Findanexpressionfory(t) ,thecharge'sypositionasafunctionoftime.
Expressyouranswerintermsoftaswellasanyofthegivenvariablesandconstants.

Hint1.Findtheforceintheydirection
WhatnetforceFy doesthechargeexperienceintheydirection?

Hint1.Formulafortheforceonachargeinanelectricfield
TheformulafortheforceF onachargeq inanelectricfieldEis

F = qE

ANSWER:
Fy

= 0

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Hint2.Ahelpfulkinematicequation
Recallthatkinematicequationthatgivesthedistances travelledintermsoftheinitialvelocityu,
theaccelerationa andelapsedtimetis
s = ut +

1
2

at

ANSWER:
y(t)

v0 t

Hint3.Findtheequationofmotioninthexdirection
Findanexpressionforx(t),thecharge'sxpositionasafunctionoftime.
Expressyouranswerintermsoftaswellasanyofthegivenvariablesandconstants.

Hint1.Findtheforceinthexdirection
Whatisthenetforceactingonthechargeinthexdirection?
Expressyouranswerintermsofthegivenvariablesandconstants.

Hint1.Formulafortheforceonachargeinanelectricfield
TheformulafortheforceF onachargeq inanelectricfieldEis

F = qE

ANSWER:
Fx

qE

Hint2.Ahelpfulkinematicequation
Recallthatkinematicequationthatgivesthedistances travelledintermsoftheinitialvelocityu,
theaccelerationa andelapsedtimetis
s = ut +

1
2

at

ANSWER:
x(t)

qE

Hint4.Combineyourresults
(
) =
(
) =
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Atsomefinaltimetf inal ,youhavex(tf inal )

eliminatetf inal andsolveforE .

= L

andy(tf inal )

= y

.Startingwiththesetwoequations,

Hint5.Findt f inal
Usetheequationforthemotionofthechargeintheydirectiontofindtf inal .
Expressyouranswerintermsofthevariablesv 0 andyh .
ANSWER:
t f inal

v0

ANSWER:
2mL

2
y

q(

Correct
Theequationsofmotionforthispartareidenticaltotheequationsofmotionforthepreviouspart,withLand
y h interchanged.Thusitisnosurprisethattheanswerstothetwopartsarealsoidentical,with L and y h
interchanged.

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