Asked in Premeth MDCAT 2025 LR-04 — Electromagnetism, Transition Elements 2025Moderate

If the velocity of a charged particle and magnetic field are at a fixed angle that is not 90 degrees, then the path will be:

Correct answer: D. Helical

  • A. Circular
  • B. Straight line
  • C. Spherical
  • D. Helical

Explanation

Force is given by F = qvBsinθ, where F, q, v and B are the force, charge on particle, velocity of particle and magnetic field strength respectively. θ is the angle between v and B.If θ = 0 or 180, there is no force on the particle and it continues to move with uniform velocity.If θ = 90, the force acting on the particle is maximum and perpendicular to the path of the particle. (force acts as a centripetal force and the particle moves along a circular path)When θ has a value other than 0, 90 or 180, the direction of velocity is either perpendicular or parallel to B. If the component of velocity is parallel to B it will not be affected by the magnetic field. However if the component of velocity is perpendicular to B it will be subject to a force of the magnetic field which would result in uniform circular motion. Hence the particle would have a component along a straight line as well as a circular component. Therefore the path would be in the form of a helix. And so option D is correct.

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About Charged Particle in a Magnetic Field

A charged particle moving through a magnetic field experiences the Lorentz force, which is perpendicular to both its velocity and the field. The motion may be circular or helical, with questions involving radius, angular frequency, time period, and work done. A stationary charge feels no magnetic force.

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