The Microscopic Current Loop
Imagine an electron zooming around the nucleus in a circular orbit, just like a planet orbiting the sun. While we usually think of current as a stream of countless electrons flowing through a wire, even a single moving charge constitutes an electric current! This is because current is fundamentally defined as the rate of flow of charge past a given point.
Formulating the Equivalent Current
To find this equivalent current, we start with the basic definition of current:
I=tq
For an electron completing one full revolution, the total charge q that passes a point on the orbit is simply the elementary charge e. The time t it takes to complete this revolution is the time period.
We know from basic kinematics that time is distance divided by speed. The distance traveled in one revolution is the circumference of the orbit, 2πr, and the speed is v. Therefore, the time period is:
t=v2πr
Substituting this time period back into our current equation, the velocity v flips up to the numerator, giving us a beautiful and compact formula for the equivalent current of a revolving charge:
I=v2πre=2πrev
Crunching the Numbers
Now, we just need to carefully substitute the values given in the problem. We are given the radius r=0.5 A˚, which must be converted to standard SI units: 0.5×10−10 m. The speed is v=2.2×106 m/s, and the charge of an electron is e=1.6×10−19 C. The problem also instructs us to use π=722.
Let's plug these into our master equation:
I=2×722×0.5×10−101.6×10−19×2.2×106
Don't rush the calculation! Let's simplify the denominator first. Notice how 2×0.5=1. This leaves us with just 722×10−10 in the denominator.
Now, let's gather the numbers and the powers of 10 separately:
I=221.6×2.2×7×10−19+6+10
I=2224.64×10−3=1.12×10−3 A
The Final Conversion
We have our current in Amperes, but the question sets a specific trap. It asks for the answer in the format of 10−2 mA.
First, let's convert Amperes to milliamperes (mA) by multiplying by 103:
I=1.12×10−3×103 mA=1.12 mA
Finally, to match the requested format of ×10−2 mA, we shift the decimal point two places to the right:
I=112×10−2 mA
Thus, the integer value we are looking for is 112.