Science Common Sense

1695 - Why does a charged particle on a plane moving in a uniform magnetic field perpendicular to the plane experience a force and move in a uniform circular motion?

A charged particle is like a tiny electron or proton. Imagine it's on a plane moving through a magnetic field that's strong and steady, like a big magnet that's not moving.

When a charged particle moves through a magnetic field, it creates its own mini-magnetic field around it. This mini-field interacts with the strong magnetic field on the plane.

Since the particle's mini-field is like a tiny magnet, it either attracts or repels (pushes away) the strong magnetic field. This interaction creates a force on the particle.

But here's the cool thing: because the strong magnetic field is not moving, and the particle is moving sideways to it, the force on the particle is always sideways too. This sideways force makes the particle bend its path and move in a circle.

Imagine being on a merry-go-round that's spinning. You'll feel like you're being pulled to the side because of the spinning motion. It's like that for the charged particle in the magnetic field. The particle keeps getting pushed sideways by the magnetic force, so it moves in a circle.