Physics-Van de Graaff generator...please please help!?

Question

A Van de Graaff generator is charged so that the electric field at its surface is 2.6*10^4 N/C.

(a) Find the electric force exerted on a proton released at its surface.

(b) Find the acceleration of the proton at this instant of time.

Answer 1

a) F=q*E
where q is the charge of the proton = - charge of an electron
and E = 2.6*10^4 N/C
b) use F=ma; a = F/m
where F is what you found in (a) and m is proton's mass (look it up)

Answer 2

F = qE

look up the fundamental charge on a proton

F = ma, so a = F/m = qE/m

look up the mass of a proton while you're at it.

Answer 3

Some very large generators actually have cube-shaped smooth domes but with large rounded corners. The more important feature is one of surface smoothness. Surface imperfections cause microscopic but locally high spots and charges tend to accumulate there to get away from all the other like charges on the dome surface. This produces a locally high electric field and the charges can "leak" into humid air faster because of the "push" of the field.