Question

An electron is released from rest at point B (as shown to the right), where the potential is 0 V. Afterward, the electron: a. remains at rest at B. b. moves toward A with a steady speed. c. moves toward A with an increasing speed. d. moves toward C with a steady speed. e. moves toward C with an increasing speed.

Answer 1

An electron moves from higher to lower electric potential. If point A is at a higher potential, the electron moves toward A with increasing speed. If point C is at a lower potential, it moves toward C with increasing speed.

Step-by-step explanation:

An electron will naturally move from a region of higher potential to a region of lower potential due to the force exerted by the electric field. In the scenario given, with the potential at point B being 0 V, the electron will not remain at rest at B assuming there is an electric field present. If point A has a higher potential (positive concerning B), the electron will move toward it. However, since electrons are negatively charged particles, they are attracted to regions of positive potential but repelled from regions of negative potential. Therefore, the electron will move toward point A with an increasing speed if A is at a higher potential, or move toward point C with an increasing speed if C is at a lower potential (negative concerning B). The speed increases because the electric field does work on the electron, thereby increasing its kinetic energy.

Answer 2

An electron released from rest at point B will move towards point A with a steadily increasing speed as it is accelerated by the electric field.

Step-by-step explanation:

The direction of the electric field is opposite to the initial velocity of the electron. So, in this case, the direction of the electric field is towards point A.

To find out how far the electron travels before coming to rest, we can use the equation:

d = (v^2 - u^2) / (2a), where v is the final velocity, u is the initial velocity, and a is the acceleration.

Since the electron comes to rest, its final velocity is 0. Plugging in the given values, the distance traveled by the electron before coming to rest can be calculated.

The time it takes for the electron to come to rest can be found using the equation:

t = (v - u) / a

Since the final velocity is 0, the time taken can be calculated using the given values.

Finally, when the electron returns to its starting point, its velocity will be equal to its initial velocity, but in the opposite direction.