Question

An electron is released from rest at point a. The proton then accelerates toward the negatively charged plate and leaves the plate through a small hole at point b. The potential at point b is _______ v lesser than that of the point a?

Answer 1

The potential at point b is lower than that at point a, and the exact difference depends on the electric potential difference the electron travels through in the electric field.

Step-by-step explanation:

The potential at point b is lower than that at point a by an amount equal to the work done per unit charge in moving the electron from point a to point b against the electric field. The precise value by which the potential at point b is lower than that at point a depends on the electric potential difference between the two points. In electric fields, potential energy and electric potential are inversely related to the distance from the source of the field. If the electric field between the plates is uniform and the electron moves from the negative to the positive plate, the potential at point b would be lower than the potential at point a by an amount equal to the product of the electron's charge and the electric potential difference it has traveled through.