A proton beam is going from north to south and an electron beam is going from south to north. Neglecting the earth's magnetic field, the electron beam will be deflected

Options

A. towards the proton beam
B. away from the proton beam
C. upwards
D. downwards

Answer

To solve the problem of the deflection of the electron beam in the presence of a proton beam, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Direction of the Beams
- The proton beam is moving from north to south.
- The electron beam is moving from south to north.

### Step 2: Identify the Forces Acting on the Electron Beam
- Since we are neglecting the Earth's magnetic field, we only consider the electrostatic forces between the protons and electrons.
- Protons are positively charged, and electrons are negatively charged. Therefore, there will be an attractive electrostatic force between the two beams.

### Step 3: Determine the Direction of the Electrostatic Force
- The electrostatic force between the proton beam and the electron beam will act towards the protons (since opposite charges attract).
- As the electron beam is moving from south to north, the electrostatic force will pull it towards the north (where the protons are located).

### Step 4: Conclude the Deflection of the Electron Beam
- As a result of the attractive electrostatic force, the electron beam will be deflected towards the proton beam.
- This means that the electron beam will deflect upwards (if we consider the vertical direction as upwards) towards the proton beam.

### Final Answer
The electron beam will be deflected towards the proton beam due to the attractive electrostatic force.

---