Question

Can a charged particle be accelerated by a magnetic field? Can its speed be increased?

Answer 1

Yes, a charged particle can be accelerated by a magnetic field. A magnetic field exerts force on the charged particle, which is perpendicular to both the magnetic field and velocity. If initially the charged particle is moving at right angle to the magnetic field, then the resultant trajectory of the particle is circular motion. In circular motion, the magnitude of the velocity remains constant but direction changes continuously. So, the motion is accelerated but speed remains constant.