Solved: The Ion. The ion is composed of two protons, each

Chapter 23, Problem 23.61

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The Ion. The ion is composed of two protons, each of charge and an electron of charge and mass The separation between the protons is The protons and the electron may be treated as point charges. (a) Suppose the electron is located at the point midway between the two protons. What is the potential energy of the interaction between the electron and the two protons? (Do not include the potential energy due to the interaction between the two protons.) (b) Suppose the electron in part (a) has a velocity of magnitude in a direction along the perpendicular bisector of the line connecting the two protons. How far from the point midway between the two protons can the electron move? Because the masses of the protons are much greater than the electron mass, the motions of the protons are very slow and can be ignored. (Note: A realistic description of the electron motion requires the use of quantum mechanics, not Newtonian mechanics.)