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When a proton is released from rest in a room, it starts with an initial acceleration a₀ towards west. When it is projected towards north with a speed v₀, it moves with an initial acceleration 3a₀ toward west. The electric and magnetic fields in the room are

Asked in NEET 2013 · Crossed electric and magnetic fields

Answer: (4) (ma₀)/e west, (2ma₀)/(ev₀) down

Step-by-step solution

Given: at rest the proton accelerates west with a₀; moving north at v₀ it accelerates west with 3a₀. Take east as ̂x, north as ̂y, up as ̂z.

Idea: the field that acts at rest is the electric one; whatever extra appears when the proton moves is magnetic.

At rest: eE=ma₀, so E=(ma₀)/e, and the proton is positive, so ⃗E points west, the way it accelerates.

Moving north, the extra acceleration is 3a₀-a₀=2a₀, all of it magnetic.

ev₀B=2ma₀, so B=(2ma₀)/(ev₀).

Direction: the force e⃗v×⃗B must point west, -̂x. With ⃗v=v₀̂y, taking ⃗B=-B̂z gives ̂y×(-̂z)=-̂x, which is west.

So ⃗B points down: (ma₀)/e west and (2ma₀)/(ev₀) down.

Why the other options are wrong

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