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Which one of the following is correct form of Lorentz force?

Asked in GSEB Board July 2022 · Lorentz force and work done

Answer: (1) ⃗F=q[⃗E+(⃗v×⃗B)]

Step-by-step solution

Idea: a charge q sitting in an electric field ⃗E and a magnetic field ⃗B feels two forces at once, and the Lorentz force is their sum.

Electric part: q⃗E — along the field for a positive charge, and present whether the charge moves or not.

Magnetic part: q(⃗v×⃗B) — it needs motion, it is perpendicular to both ⃗v and ⃗B, and its magnitude is qvB sin θ.

Adding them: ⃗F=q[⃗E+(⃗v×⃗B)].

The order inside the cross product matters: ⃗B×⃗v would point the opposite way.

Why the other options are wrong

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