ACT Science Question of the Day
Daily challenge for ACT Science. Test yourself and track progress.
A particle separator functions by using a magnetic field and an electric field pointing perpendicularly. When a charged particle is launched into the particle separator, a constant electric force is exerted on the particle proportional to the particle's charge. Additionally, the magnetic field exerts a force on the particle that is in the opposite direction of the electric force and that is proportional to the particle's charge and velocity. A particle will make it through the particle separator only if the opposing magnetic forces and electric forces are equal in magnitude as they will not cause a net change in the particle's direction.
What can we infer would happen if a neutron (a particle with no charge) were to be shot into the particle separator with a low velocity?