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Problem 27.8: Mass spectrometer

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The animation shows a particle passing through a mass spectrometer (position is given in meters and time is given in seconds). There is a constant magnetic field throughout the region directed into the screen. There is a constant electric field in the first region only. Restart.

  1. Is the particle charged? How do you know? If it is charged, does it have a positive or negative charge?  Justify your answer.
  2. If the electric field produced by the charged plates in the first region is 80 N/C, what is the value of the magnetic field in that region?
  3. What is the charge-to-mass ratio (q/m) of the particle?

For an introduction to the mass spectrometer see Exploration 27.3.

Problem authored by Melissa Dancy.

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