Electric And Magnetic Forces On Particles

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Electron Noun

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[i-lek-tron]

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Electron

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A fundamental subatomic particle with a negative electric charge that is a primary constituent of all atoms.

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Example: This diagram shows an electron as a particle orbiting the nucleus of an atom, which also contains protons and neutrons.

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Proton Noun

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[proh-ton]

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Proton

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A stable subatomic particle in all atomic nuclei, with a positive electric charge equal in magnitude to an electron's charge.

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Example: This diagram shows a proton, a positively charged particle, located inside the atom's central nucleus, which is essential for understanding atomic structure and electric forces.

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Ion Noun

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[ahy-on]

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Ion

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An atom or molecule that has a net electric charge due to the loss or gain of one or more electrons.

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Example: A neutral sodium atom (left) loses one electron, resulting in a sodium ion (right) with a positive charge because it has more protons than electrons.

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Isotope Noun

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[ahy-suh-tohp]

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Isotope

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Forms of the same element with equal numbers of protons but different numbers of neutrons, resulting in different atomic masses.

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Example: This image shows three isotopes of hydrogen. They all have one proton (p+), which determines the element, but different numbers of neutrons (n), which changes their mass.

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Cathode Ray Noun

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[kath-ohd rey]

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Cathode Ray

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A stream of high-velocity electrons that are produced in a vacuum tube when a voltage is applied across two electrodes.

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Example: This diagram shows that when high voltage is applied across a vacuum tube, a stream of particles called cathode rays travels from the negative cathode to the positive anode.

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Cathode-Ray Tube Noun

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[kath-ohd rey toob]

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Cathode-Ray Tube

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A vacuum tube where a beam of electrons is produced, accelerated, and deflected by electric or magnetic fields for display.

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Example: This diagram shows a cathode-ray tube where a beam of negatively charged particles is deflected by an electric field, bending towards the positive plate.

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Mass Spectrometer Noun

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[mas spek-trom-i-ter]

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Mass Spectrometer

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An instrument that measures the charge-to-mass ratio of positive ions to determine the masses of atomic isotopes in a sample.

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Example: A mass spectrometer uses electric and magnetic forces to separate charged particles (ions) by their mass, with lighter ions bending more in the magnetic field.

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Mass Spectrometry Noun

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[mas spek-trom-i-tree]

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Mass Spectrometry

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An analytical technique that ionizes chemical species and sorts the ions based on their mass-to-charge ratio for identification.

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Example: A mass spectrometer uses electric fields to accelerate charged particles (ions) and a magnetic field to bend their paths, separating them by mass.

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Charge-to-Mass Ratio Noun

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[chahrj too mas rey-shee-oh]

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Charge-to-Mass Ratio

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The ratio of a particle's electric charge to its mass, a fundamental property used to identify particles in physics.

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Example: This image uses a balance scale to represent the charge-to-mass ratio, showing it's a comparison between a particle's electric charge and its mass.

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Potential Difference Noun

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[puh-ten-shuhl dif-er-uhns]

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Potential Difference

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The difference in electric potential energy per unit charge between two points, also known as voltage, driving current flow.

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Example: Applying a potential difference (voltage) across a conductor causes free electrons to move in an organized direction, from the negative to the positive terminal.