If a charged particle approached another particle of same charge held by some external force, then by coulomb's law the particle will start electrostatic repulsion. Thus coming to a closest distance and stopping and thereafter, tracing its path back (the free particle). I know that energy is conserved here. The kinetic energy turning to Electrostatic Potential energy and thus back to its former state.
But my question is whether the momentum be conserved or not?
Edit:- Ignore Gravity, Radiation, Electromagnetic Field etc.
Answer
Momentum is definitely conserved, but “the system” you must consider includes:
- the incident particle
- the target particle
- the object providing the “external force”
- the electromagnetic field
I trust that you can understand why (3) is there, and (4) is there because accelerating charged bodies radiate and radiation carries momentum.
The need to deal with radiation makes the problem rather more difficult than the corresponding pure mechanics problem.
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