A charged particle moves through a magnetic field B with a velocity v. Which one of the following statements is true for the force (F) experienced by the particle?

The correct answer is F is maximum when v and B are perpendicular to each other.

Key Points

• The force (F) experienced by a charged particle moving through a magnetic field (B) with a velocity (v) is maximum when v and B are perpendicular to each other.
  • This is based on the formula for the magnetic force experienced by a charged particle, given by the equation:
  • F = q v B sin (θ)
    • where:
      • F is the magnetic force,
      • q is the charge of the particle,
      • v is the velocity of the particle,
      • B is the magnetic field strength, and
      • θ is the angle between the velocity vector 
      • v and the magnetic field vector 
• The force is maximum when θ is 90 degrees, which means v and B are perpendicular to each other.