Two electrons are moving in a uniform magnetic field. One has an orbital radius of 15 cm. The other has twice the speed of the first. What is its orbital radius?
The radius of circular motion for a charged particle in a magnetic field is given by Eq. (30.5): r=m v / q B . Since both electrons are in the same magnetic field, m, q , and B are the same, and the radius varies in proportion to the speed.Thus the second electron has twice the orbital radius of the first, or 30 cm.
r=\frac{m v}{q B} (30.5)