Charged Particles

25. Charged particles Content 25.1 Electrons 25.2 Beams of charged particles Learning outcomes Candidates should be able to: (a) show an understanding of the main principles of determination of e by Millikans experiment (b) summarise and interpret the experimental evidence for quantisation of charge (c) describe and analyse qualitatively the deflection of beams of charged particles by uniform electric and uniform magnetic fields (d) explain how electric and magnetic fields can be used in velocity selection (e) explain the main principles of one method for the determination of v and e/me for electrons.

Force on a moving charged particle in a magnetic field

An electric current is charge in motion or movement of charged particles A current carrying conductor placed in a magnetic field experiences a force depending on the angle between the field and the conductor This force arises from the force on the individual moving charged particles in the conductor which has been shown to be F = BIL sin If there are n charged particles in a length L of the conductor, each carrying a charge q, which pass a point in the conductor in time t, then the current in the conductor is given by I = nq/t The speed of the charged particles is given by v = L/t whereby L = vt Hence F = BIL sin becomes F = Bnqv sin leading to F = Bqv sin for 1 particle The direction of the force will be given by Flemings LH rule and it must be remembered that the direction of the current is the conventional current If particles are positively charged then the direction of the 2nd finger is in the same direction as the velocity If particles are negatively charged then the direction of the 2nd finger is in the opposite direction to the velocity

Direction on a moving charged particle in a magnetic field

As a particle enters a uniform magnetic field which is normal to the direction of motion of the particle, it will experience a force normal to its direction This force will not change the speed of the particle but it will change its direction of motion As the particle moves through the field, the force will remain constant since the speed has not changed and it will always be normal to the direction of motion, hence the particle will move in an arc of a circle The force F = Bqv (since sin = 1) provides the centripetal force for the circular motion, hence F = Bqv =mv2/r Rearranging gives the radius of the path, r = mv/Bq The importance of this relationship is that if the speed of the particle and radius of the path is known, then the specific charge i.e. the ratio of charge to mass can be found i.e. q/m = v/Br Then if the charge is known, then the mass can be calculated allowing this technique to be used to identify fundamental particles

Principle of a method to measure the electron charge

Involves the balancing of the gravitational force on a tiny charged sphere by an electric force in the opposite direction so that the sphere remains stationary This is the famous Millikans oil drop method where an oil drop is charged by friction as it passed out of the jet of a spray, sprayed between 2 parallel plates connected to a source of variable potential difference, so that the electric field between them can be changed The electric field is adjusted until the weight is exactly balanced by the electric force qE in the opposite direction Since F = Eq = qV/d = mg, q can be found Millikan found that the charge q was always an integral multiple of a fundamental quantity of charge e equal to 1.6 x 10-19 C and this has been ascribed to the charge of an electron The result that the charges on the droplets seems to be only in integral multiples of e means that charge is quantised or exists only in discrete amounts

Example

A negatively charged polystyrene sphere of mass 3.3 x 10-15 kg is held at rest between 2 parallel plates separated by 5.0 mm when the potentialdifference between them is 170 V. How many excess electrons are on the sphere? Solution: Using qV/d = mg gives q = 9.5 x 10-19 C Taking e to be 1.6 x 10-19, q corresponds to 5.9 excess electrons Because we cannot have 0.9 of an electron, the answer must be 6 electrons, the discrepancy must be due to experimental inaccuray or rounding errors

The electron mass

The mass of an electron can be found indirectly, since the ratio of e/m can be found and knowing the charge e we can then determine the mass m From earlier, q/m = v/Br, hence knowing the charge q, moving with speed v at right angles to a uniform magnetic field of flux density B giving a constant centripetal force, m can be determined if r can be ascertained By using a fine-beam tube which is an apparatus using Helmholtz coils, whereby the path of the electrons are made visible by having low pressure gas in the tube, the radius r of the orbit may be measured

Example

Electrons are accelerated to a speed of 8.4 x 106 m/s. they then pass into a region of uniform magnetic flux density 0.50 mT. The path of the electrons in the field is a circle with a radius 9.6 cm. Calculate: a) the specific charge of the electron b) the mass of the electron, assuming the charge on the electron is 1.6 x 10-19 C Solution a) e/m = v/Br = 1.8 x 1011 C/kg b) using e/m, m = 9.1 x 10-31 kg

Velocity selection of charged particles

If the velocity of particles of known mass m, charge +q and electric field strength E, before entry into a field is v at right angles to the field lines, the particles will follow a parabolic path as they pass through this field due to a force FE on the particle i.e FE = qE Supposing that a uniform magnetic field B acts in the same region as the electric field E Using Flemings LH rule, a force will act on the charged particle in the direction opposite to the force due to the electric field given by FB = Bqv If now the magnitude of one of the fields is adjusted, then a situation can arise where the 2 forces are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction, giving Bqv = qE, hence v = E/B. In such a case the particles will not be deflected. Particles with any other velocity will be deflected. The mass of the particles do not come into the equation Such an arrangement is known as a velocity selector, important in the study of ions

Example

It is required to select charged ions which have a speed of 4.2 x 106 m s-1. the electric field strength in the velocity selector is 3.2 x 104 V m-1. Calculate the magnetic field strength required. Solution v = E/B = 7.6 x 10-3 T

The Hall effect and Hall probe

When a thin slice of a conductor is placed normal to a magnetic field, and an electric current is passed through it, the charge carriers will experience a force which will tend to make them move to one side of the conductor This causes a potential difference to develop across the conductor, known as the Hall voltage, VH The size of the Hall voltage will depend on the material of the conductor (usually a semiconductor), the current in the sample and the magnetic flux density If the current is kept constant, then the Hall voltage will be propotional to the magnetic flux density Hence the Hall effect provides a means by which flux densities may be measured using a Hall probe Using a semiconductor in a Hall probe, gives a Hall voltage many thousands of times than that for a metal under the same conditions

Example

A charged particle has mass 6.7 x 10-27 kg and charge +3.2 x 10-19 C. It is travelling at speed 2.5 x 108 m s-1 when it enters a region of space where there is a uniform magnetic field of flux density 1.6 T at right angles to its direction of motion. Calculate

a) the force on the particle due to the magnetic field b) the radius of its orbit in the field

Solution a) F = Bqv sin = 1.3 x 10-10 N b) centripetal force is provided by the electromotive force mv2/r = Bqv r = 3.2 m

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