What are the strength and direction of an electric field that will balance the weight of a proton?

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Physics

Eliana Sutton

3 March, 06:30

What are the strength and direction of an electric field that will balance the weight of a proton?

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Jillian Thornton · Answer 1

We do know the charge of a proton is positive. And the mass is 1.67e-27kg. Intuitively, the e-field would have to be repulsive (positive) from the bottom or attractive (negative) from the top to draw the proton "up" against gravity. The strength of this e-field has to equal the pull from gravity mg.