Magnetic vs. Electric Force Ratio – Rankers Physics

Force Acting on Moving Charges: Practice Problem & Solution

Assertion (A): Magnetic force between two charge is generally much smaller than the electric force between them. Reason (R): Speeds of charges are much smaller than the free-space speed of light.  
(1) Both (A) & (R) are true and the (R) is the correct explanation of the (A)
(2) Both (A) & (R) are true but the (R) is not the correct explanation of the (A)
(3) (A) is true but (R) is false
(4) Both (A) and (R) are false

Short Solution (Best for NEET):

To solve this problem, we apply the core principles of Force Acting on Moving Charges. Understanding the underlying formula is key to arriving at the correct answer below:

Magnetic force \(F_m = qvB\) and electric force \(F_e = qE\). For moving charges, \(B = \frac{v}{c^2}E\). Thus, \(F_m = \frac{v^2}{c^2}F_e\). Since speeds \(v\) of charges are much smaller than the speed of light \(c\), \(F_m\) is much smaller than \(F_e\). Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) correctly explains (A).

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