explain how a cyclotron produces a high energy electron

-cyclotron consists of 2 dees connected to an AC power supply. When an electron is released from a source in the centre of the cyclotron, it is initially attracted towards the positively charged dee, due to the electrostatic force of attraction - columbs law. This causes the electron to accelerate towards that dee-When the AC supply alternates, the positively charged dee becomes negatively charged and the electron is now repelled towards the opposite dee, which is now positvely charged. This process continues causing the velocity of the electron to increase overtime.Since there is a magnetic field perpendicular to the cyclotron, by Flemings left hand rule, this implies that the force acting on the electron is a centripetal force.Tthis causes the electrons to move in circular motion around the centre-in circular motion. F=mv^2 /r, since F is constant when v increases, r must also increase, so the electron spirals out from the centre of the cyclotron. This implies that the time each electron remains in the dee is constant.

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Answered by Toby S. Physics tutor

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