Specific Charge
Contents
Key Stage 5
Meaning
Specific charge is the ratio of the charge of a particle to its mass shown in the equation \(S.C. = \frac{Q}{m}\) where 'Q' is the charge of the particle and 'm' is the mass of the particle.
About Specific Charge
- The SI Units for specific charge are the Coulomb per kilogram (Ckg-1).
- The specific charge of a particle is a useful quantity when using a mass spectrometer or cloud chamber as it determines the rate of curvature of a particle with a given its velocity through a known magnetic flux density.
Equation
\(S.C. = \frac{Q}{m}\)
Where
\(S.C. =\) The specific charge of a particle.
\(Q =\) The charge of the particle.
\(m =\) The mass of the particle.
Example Calculations
Calculating Specific Charge
| Question | Question |
| 1. State the known quantities in SI Units. | 1. State the known quantities in SI Units. |
| 2. Substitute the numbers and evaluate. | 2. Substitute the numbers and evaluate. |
| 3. Rearrange the equation and solve. | 3. Rearrange the equation and solve. |