When an electric current is flowing through a wire, the force deflecting the charged particles is greatest when the wire is _________ to the magnetic field.
A: at a 30° angle
B: parallel
C: perpendicular
C: perpendicular
When an electric current is flowing through a wire, the force deflecting the charged particles is greatest when the wire is perpendicular to the magnetic field. This means that the correct answer is option C: perpendicular.
To determine when the force deflecting the charged particles is greatest when an electric current is flowing through a wire, we need to consider the relationship between the wire and the magnetic field.
The force experienced by a charged particle moving through a magnetic field is given by the equation:
F = q * v * B * sin(theta)
where:
- F is the magnitude of the force
- q is the charge of the particle
- v is the velocity of the particle
- B is the magnitude of the magnetic field
- theta (θ) is the angle between the velocity vector and the magnetic field vector
Now, let's consider the given options:
A: at a 30° angle
If the wire is at a 30° angle to the magnetic field, the value of sin(30°) is 0.5. As sin(theta) is not equal to 1, the force will not be at its maximum.
B: parallel
If the wire is parallel to the magnetic field, the angle between the wire and the magnetic field is 0°. In this case, sin(0°) equals 0. The force experienced would be zero.
C: perpendicular
If the wire is perpendicular to the magnetic field, the angle between the wire and the magnetic field is 90°. In this case, sin(90°) equals 1. The force experienced will be at its maximum.
Therefore, the correct answer is option C: perpendicular. When the wire is perpendicular to the magnetic field, the force deflecting the charged particles is the greatest.