Concept:A charged particle in a uniform electric field experiences constant force, producing uniform acceleration. As the electron gains velocity, its de-Broglie wavelength changes with time, and the required rate is obtained by differentiating
λ with respect to
t.
Explanation:The electric force acting on the electron is
F=eE.
Using Newton's second law, the acceleration is
a=mF​=meE​.
The electron is initially at rest, so its initial velocity is
u=0.
After time
t, the velocity acquired is
v=u+at=0+meE​⋅t=meEt​.
The de-Broglie wavelength is given by
λ=ph​=mvh​.
Substituting the expression for
v, we get
λ=m⋅meEt​h​=eEth​.
To find the rate of change of wavelength, differentiate
λ with respect to
t:
dtdλ​=dtd​(eEth​)=eEh​⋅dtd​(t−1)=eEh​⋅(−t21​).
Therefore,
dtdλ​=−eEt2h​.
The negative sign indicates that the de-Broglie wavelength decreases as the electron accelerates.
Answer:The rate of change of de-Broglie wavelength is
−eEt2h​, which matches option A.