Combining Electric and Magnetic Forces

Claimed by Alana Kaplan

When a charged particle is moving through a space with present electric and magnetic forces, if the forces are not balanced, the particles trajectory will change. It is important to remember that though the forces, observably, interact with a particle in different patterns, their effects can be quantitatively be compared.

We will first go over the qualitative differences of the two forces:

Electric Forces:

• A particle being acted upon by an electric force will move in a straight line, in the path, or negative path depending on charge, of the the electric field line.

• Electric fields point in a direction radially outward/ inward of a charged particle. There are four possible scenarios for the interaction of 2 charged particles:

o A (-) charged Particle(1) is acting on a (-) charged particle(2)

• Particle(2) feels force pointing radially outward from Particle(1)

o A (+) charged Particle(1) is acting on a (-) charged particle(2)

• Particle(2) feels force pointing radially inward toward Particle(1)

o A (-) charged Particle(1) is acting on a (+) charged particle(2)

• Particle(2) feels force pointing radially inward twoard Particle(1)

o A (+) charged Particle(1) is acting on a (+) charged particle(2)

• Particle(2) feels force pointing radially outward from Particle(1)