A cyclotron with a magnetic field of 1.2 T is used to accelerate protons. How does the time for the protons to complete one orbit change when the radius of their orbit changes from 10 cm to 22 cm?
A) It increases by a factor of 2.2.
B) It decreases by a factor of 2.2.
C) It increases by a factor of 4.8.
D) It decreases by a factor of 4.8.
E) It stays the same.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The time for protons to complete one orbit in a cyclotron is independent of the radius of their orbit. This is because the cyclotron frequency, which determines the orbit completion time, depends only on the charge-to-mass ratio of the particles and the magnetic field strength, not on the orbit radius.

A Cyclotron with a Magnetic Field of 1