An electron is fired through the space between two oppositely charged, parallel plates. The plates form a 2.00 cm long region with an electric field of 4000 N/C perpendicular to the electron's initial velocity. If the initial speed of the electron is 1.00 × 10⁷ m/s, how long does it take to traverse the plates? A) 2.00 µs B) 2.00 ns C) 1.70 ns D) 1.80 ns E) 1.50 µs

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The time to traverse the plates depends only on the initial speed and the distance between the plates, not on the electric field, since the field acts perpendicular to the motion. Time $t = \frac{d}{v} = \frac{2.00 \times 10^{-2} \, \text{m}}{1.00 \times 10^7 \, \text{m/s}} = 2.00 \times 10^{-9} \, \text{s} = 2.00 \, \text{ns}$.

An Electron Is Fired Through the Space Between Two Oppositely