A free electron is placed in the path of a plane electromagnetic wave. The electron will start moving

along the electric field

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along magnetic field

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along the direction of propagation of the wave

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in a plane containing the magnetic field and the direction of propagation

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Solution

The correct option is B along the electric field
The electron will experience a Coulomb force and would start moving along the electric field. It will also experience a force due to magnetic field that would cause instantaneous drifts along the direction of propagation even. But this force would change its direction as the the direction of electron itself changes. Overall it would be moving along the electric field.

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\to E = E_{0}^j cos (ω t - k x) .

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