Question

Question 17
It is established that an electric current through a metallic conductor produces a magnetic field around it. Is there a similar magnetic field produced around a thin beam of moving (i) alpha particles, (ii) neutrons? Justify your answer.

Answer 1

Since an electric current through a metallic conductor produces a magnetic field around it, the requirement is to check if the given beam gives rise to an electric current.

(i) Alpha particles are positively charged. Thus, they would give rise to an electric current opposite to the direction of the movement of the particles and this would produce a magnetic field.

(ii) Neutrons lack any type of charge and hence, would not give rise to any electric current thus resulting in no magnetic field.