By referencing the magnetic field and the alternating potential difference explain how a cyclotron produces a beam of high speed particles.

The difference in potential between the two Ds of a cyclotron accelerate the particles across the gap. The direction of potential difference switches every half cycle to keep the particles accelerating. The magnetic field is a right angles to the path of the particles so keeps them in a circular motion within the Ds. As the particles gain energy and become faster the path radius increases until they are released as a beam when the energy is high enough.

GR

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

Show that gravitational force within a nuclei is negilible compared with the electric repulsion.


Derive an expression for the centripetal acceleration of a body in uniform circular motion.


What is the De Broglie wavelength of an electron given it has a kinetic energy of 1 eV? You are given the mass of an electron is 9.11x10^-31 kg and Planck's constant is 6.63x10^-34


A supertanker of mass 4.0 × 10^8 kg, cruising at an initial speed of 4.5 m s^(–1), takes one hour to come to rest. Assume the force slowing down the tanker is constant.