Concepts Of Physics MCQ Edition [Volume 2]PhysicsMagnetic Field
A charged particle is moving through a uniform magnetic field. At a given instant, the particle's velocity forms an acute angle with the magnetic field. The path followed by the particle will be
Options
- Aa circle
- Ba straight line
- Ca helix with nonuniform pitch
- Da helix with uniform pitch
Correct answer
D. a helix with uniform pitch
Step-by-step solution
Let the magnetic field be B and the velocity of the charged particle be v . The velocity v can be resolved into two components: v_ = v parallel to the magnetic field and v_ = v perpendicular to the magnetic field, where is the acute angle between v and B . The perpendicular component v_ provides the necessary centripetal force, causing the particle to move in a circular path of radius r = mv_ qB . The parallel component v_ remains constant since there is no force acting along the direction of the magnetic field. Th