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In experiments with the cathode ray, how would the experiment be different if more powerful magnets were used?

A) The cathode rays would travel in a more straight-line path.
B) The deflection of cathode rays would be less pronounced.
C) The cathode rays would travel at a slower speed.
D) The cathode rays would become more diffuse and scattered.

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Using more powerful magnets in cathode ray experiments would result in a more pronounced deflection of the cathode rays, since the deflection is directly proportional to the strength of the magnetic field.

Step-by-step explanation:

In experiments with the cathode ray, using more powerful magnets would affect how the rays are deflected. Magnetic fields exert a force on charged particles that are moving perpendicular to the field lines. If stronger magnets were used, the answer would be B) The deflection of cathode rays would be more pronounced. This is because the force on a charged particle in a magnetic field is proportional to the strength of the magnetic field. The more powerful the magnet, the greater the force on the negatively charged cathode rays, resulting in a greater curvature to their path.

If cathode rays are not deflected when they pass through a region of space, it implies that there is no significant magnetic field perpendicular to the path of the rays in that region. When cathode rays, which are streams of electrons, encounter a magnetic field perpendicular to their motion, they experience a force due to the Lorentz force law, which will cause their path to curve.

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