gre Posted January 4, 2009 Posted January 4, 2009 How is it known the proton and electron have equal charge magnitudes?
Klaynos Posted January 4, 2009 Posted January 4, 2009 Experimentation. Take a hydrogen atom, measure it's charge. Remove an electron, they are now both charged, the only way this is possible is if they are equal.
gre Posted January 4, 2009 Author Posted January 4, 2009 Well, how is an electron, proton, or hydrogen atom's charge measured?
Klaynos Posted January 4, 2009 Posted January 4, 2009 Well you can tell if something is charged, and whether it is positive or negative charge by passing it threw a magnetic field and seeing what its path is. Charged particles will curve. So if you detect them afterwards you will get distinct regions based on mass and charge. You can also measure the charge of an electron independently of mass using an oil drop experiment: http://www.juliantrubin.com/bigten/millikanoildrop.html
ydoaPs Posted January 4, 2009 Posted January 4, 2009 Well you can tell if something is charged, and whether it is positive or negative charge by passing it threw a magnetic field and seeing what its path is. Charged particles will curve. So if you detect them afterwards you will get distinct regions based on mass and charge. [math]F=q(B{\times}V)[/math] where F is force, q is charge, B is magnetic field, and V is velocity. Right?
swansont Posted January 4, 2009 Posted January 4, 2009 [math]F=q(B{\times}V)[/math] where F is force, q is charge, B is magnetic field, and V is velocity. Right? All except a sign. It's v X B
gre Posted January 4, 2009 Author Posted January 4, 2009 When you apply F = q(v x B) to say the hydrogen atom.. What is the V, Since electrons don't actually fly around the proton?
Klaynos Posted January 4, 2009 Posted January 4, 2009 (edited) When you apply F = q(v x B) to say the hydrogen atom.. What is the V, Since electrons don't actually fly around the proton? You apply it to the bound system as a whole so the whole atom moving through the field. Edited January 4, 2009 by Klaynos
gre Posted January 4, 2009 Author Posted January 4, 2009 You apply it to the bound system as a whole so the whole atom moving threw the field. I got a little off topic. But how does "V" in the Lorentz force apply to the hydrogen atom.... ? Well you can tell if something is charged, and whether it is positive or negative charge by passing it threw a magnetic field and seeing what its path is. Charged particles will curve. So if you detect them afterwards you will get distinct regions based on mass and charge. http://www.juliantrubin.com/bigten/millikanoildrop.html Don't magnetic fields accelerate or decelerate particles as they pass through?
Klaynos Posted January 4, 2009 Posted January 4, 2009 I got a little off topic. But how does "V" in the Lorentz force apply to the hydrogen atom.... ? The v is the velocity of the atom relative to the field. Don't magnetic fields accelerate or decelerate particles as they pass through? Yes, that is why the particle curves, the acceleration is perpendicular to the direction of movement ([math]\bold{ v \times B}[/math]).
gre Posted January 4, 2009 Author Posted January 4, 2009 The v is the velocity of the atom relative to the field. How is the movement (velocity) of the electron described? Yes, that is why the particle curves, the acceleration is perpendicular to the direction of movement ([math]\bold{ v \times B}[/math]). Thanks.
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