A positively charged particle falls vertically downwards. The horizontal component of earth's magnetic field will deflect it towards

Options

A. West
B. East
C. South
D. North

Answer

To solve the problem of how a positively charged particle falling vertically downwards is affected by the horizontal component of Earth's magnetic field, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Direction of the Charge's Motion**:
- The positively charged particle is falling vertically downwards. This means its velocity vector is directed straight down.

2. **Understand the Earth's Magnetic Field**:
- The Earth's magnetic field has both vertical and horizontal components. The vertical component points downwards, while the horizontal component runs from the north to the south.

3. **Determine the Direction of the Magnetic Field**:
- The horizontal component of the Earth's magnetic field (B_H) runs from the north to the south. This means that if we visualize the Earth, the magnetic field lines are directed horizontally from the north pole towards the south pole.

4. **Apply the Right-Hand Rule**:
- To find the direction of the force acting on the charged particle due to the magnetic field, we can use the right-hand rule. For a positively charged particle:
- Point your thumb in the direction of the velocity of the particle (downwards).
- Point your fingers in the direction of the magnetic field (from north to south).
- Your palm will then face in the direction of the force acting on the charge.

5. **Determine the Resultant Force Direction**:
- When applying the right-hand rule, you will find that the force acting on the positively charged particle will be directed towards the east. This is because the magnetic force will act perpendicular to both the velocity of the particle and the direction of the magnetic field.

6. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, the positively charged particle, while falling vertically downwards, will be deflected towards the east due to the horizontal component of the Earth's magnetic field.

### Final Answer:
The positively charged particle will be deflected towards the **east**.

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