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AP Physics C: E&M
12.2 Magnetism and Moving Charges
AdvancedMCQMathematicalProportional Analysis18.1k
Schematic of a magnetic deflection mass spectrometer.
Schematic of a magnetic deflection mass spectrometer.
In a mass spectrometer, singly ionized carbon atoms (charge \(q = +e\)) are accelerated from rest through a constant potential difference \(V_0\) before entering a region of uniform magnetic field \(B_0\) directed perpendicular to their velocity. The ions travel in a semicircular path and strike a linear detector array at a distance \(x\) from the entrance slit. A beam containing two carbon isotopes with average mass \(m_0 = 2.0 \times 10^{-26} \text{ kg}\) strikes the detector, producing two distinct peaks centered at position \(x_0 = 40 \text{ cm}\) with a small spatial separation of \(\Delta x = 1.0 \text{ cm}\). Based on the relationship between detector position and ion mass, what is the mass difference \(\Delta m\) between the two isotopes?

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