Lab 4: Magnetic Force on Electrons

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Eric Allen
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1 Lab 4: Magnetic Force on Electrons Introduction: Forces on particles are not limited to gravity and electricity. Magnetic forces also exist. This magnetic force is known as the Lorentz force and it is proportional to the charge, its velocity, and the magnetic field strength. In one respect the magnetic force is truly unique - its direction. It is perpendicular to the velocity of the particle and field and so does no work not now or ever. The sum of all electric and magnetic forces on a charged particle is written as: F = qe + qv B.(Note: the cross product gives the orthogonal character to the magnetic force whose direction is indicated by the right-hand rule.) In this lab, the full electric and magnetic field interaction with an electron is studied. By the end of this lab you should: Confirm the existence of the magnetic force Solve for the trajectory of an electron in electric and magnetic fields Understand how and where magnetic force applies to the real world Materials: Cathode ray tube (CRT) VDC (0.3 ma) power supply to create electric fields CRT Wire coil (S) 0-10 VDC (1 Amp) power supply to create magnetic field Voltage, Current, and Gauss meters Caliper or ruler for measuring CRT beam displacement S 1

In one respect the magnetic force is truly unique - its direction. It is perpendicular to the velocity of the particle and field and so does no work not now or ever.

2 Experiment 1 The apparatus for this experiment consists of an electron tube, called a cathode ray tube CRT - since the electrons coming from a negative cathode were originally thought to be rays. The electron gun in the CRT produces a beam of electrons which form a spot of fluorescent light where they excite the atoms on the face of the CRT. The CRT is a vacuum environment so the electrons do not collide with gas atoms in the tube. The figure shows the electron gun inside of a CRT. Plug in the cathode ray tube and the accelerating voltage, adjust the focus to achieve the sharpest spot, and mark the point at which the electron beam is displayed with a grease pencil on the screen. The goal of this first experiment is to first determine how electric fields interact with electrons. The electron gun in the CRT has deflection plates (see figure). Using your controls to to adjust the voltage on the plates and the distance the electrons move on the screen via F=qE, which you should understand quite well by now. Describe how you believe the potentials and fields in the deflection plates work. Also, sketch the trajectory of a deflected electron in the CRT. Over most of the CRT the electron energy is given by the high voltage region of 250V. When the electron has 250V of energy, calculate its velocity in the CRT. 2 High Voltage Acceleration Region Insulator Band D1 D2 F H Figure: Side and end on view of electron gun. The electrons boil off the heated cathode (H) and are accelerated and focused to a beam by the focusing grids (F). Horizontal (D1-left/right) and vertical (D2-up/down) deflection plates direct the electron beam. Low Voltage Gun Region Figure: A cut away view of a CRT. The gun produces the beam of electrons. These are then accelerated after the insulator to a high voltage where they strike the screen and excite the phosphor. These excited atoms quickly radiate this energy in the form of light.

The CRT is a vacuum environment so the electrons do not collide with gas atoms in the tube. The figure shows the electron gun inside of a CRT.

3 Experiment 2 - The goal of this experiment is to determine how magnetic fields interact with electrons. With the electron deflection set to zero and the magnetic field OFF, i.e. the beam in the center of the screen, there is no transverse electric or magnetic force on the electrons in the CRT: F = qe + qv B = 0. The electrons are traveling straight to the screen with the velocity from experiment 1. Now, turn on the power supply to the wire coil to generate a magnetic field. A few amps of current should be enough to create the magnetic field. The force is not zero from the magnetic field and you should observe, as Lorentz observed, there is a magnetic force F = qv B. Figure: The CRT setup with the magnetic field from the coil of wire. The vertical component of the magnetic field is being measured. To quantify this interaction, use your gauss meter to measure the magnetic field from the wire coil. A picture of the B field lines from a wire coil is shown in the figure. Note the field changes direction (line direction) and magnitude (represented by the field line density) for various positions from the coil. You will need the vertical component and magnitude of the field in the central region where the electron traverses to calculate the changes in the electron trajectory. Since the field is fairly uniform, take the average reading for the vertical component of the B field around the CRT (see figure). Measuring a vector field is tricky so spend 15 minutes or so to make sure you are measuring the field magnitude and direction correctly. Figure: Magnetic Field from a loop of wire or circular dipole magnet. Note, the magnetic field is a vector! You need to quantify the component interacting with the electron. 3

A few amps of current should be enough to create the magnetic field. The force is not zero from the magnetic field and you should observe, as Lorentz observed, there is a magnetic force F = qv B.

4 Now, you will need to quantify the force on the electron as a function of the B field. Measure the deflection, x, of the electron beam on the screen for three different magnetic fields. Construct a plot of x versus B on a graph for four or five different magnetic fields. An electron moving at constant velocity through a uniform magnetic field perpendicular to the velocity is deflected from a straight line to a circular path. Since the electron has a constant velocity and magnetic field is reasonably uniform, the electron will move in a circular arc (see you text for electron motion in uniform magnetic field).] You may remember the acceleration experienced by an object in a circular path of radius R is a = v 2 /R where ma = F cir. Based on the deflection, x, you have measured and the geometry of the CRT (i.e. the length L), determine the radius of curvature R for the curved path of the electron beam. Finally, use this radius and the mass of the electron to determine the Force on the electron. magnetic shielding electron gun R φ L Figure: Circular arc deflection of electron beam for constant V and B. Note: B=0 inside the shielding. Now, using a second method check the Lorentz Force formula. With the electron velocity, electron charge, magnetic field, calculate the Lorentz Force, F mag = qv x B. Compare this to the Force you measure in the experiment and see if these forces equate. Figure: With the cover of a TV set removed, the CRT is easy to identify. You can also see the high voltage cable that provides the final acceleration voltage. (picture from 4

An electron moving at constant velocity through a uniform magnetic field perpendicular to the velocity is deflected from a straight line to a circular path.

5 Experiment 2: Real World Problem: A television set or computer monitor is a cathode ray tube. Here is the problem MULTIMEDIA! Everyone wants a huge 22 high-resolution monitor and a hi-fidelity sound system with 8 subwoofer. Unfortunately, magnetic fields from the speakers really mess with the electron on their way to the phosphor screen. This interaction is the same reason you get a rainbow of color when you put the refrigerator magnet next to your TV when you were little. You can assume the magnetic field from the speaker magnet is 50 Gauss at a distance of 0.2 meter from the center of the speaker. Also note that one pixel of deflection will destroy the image. For a typical monitor, what magnetic field strengths can be tolerated in the vicinity without distorting the image? How much would the magnetic field from an 8 subwoofer need to be reduced to eliminate distortion? I.E. how much shielding / attenuation should the engineers consider? Figure: Traditional color CRT monitors used for computers offer an impressive 1000 or more pixels in screen sizes up to 22 for less than $1000. Figure: The full experience in multimedia now involves vision and sound. Perhaps tactile senses in the future? 5

Unfortunately, magnetic fields from the speakers really mess with the electron on their way to the phosphor screen.

E/M Experiment: Electrons in a Magnetic Field.

E/M Experiment: Electrons in a Magnetic Field. PRE-LAB You will be doing this experiment before we cover the relevant material in class. But there are only two fundamental concepts that you need to understand.