The specific charge of a particle is defined as the ratio of its charge to its mass. The specific charge is typically represented by the symbol (e/m), where "e" represents the charge of the particle and "m" represents its mass.
An alpha particle is a type of particle commonly encountered in nuclear physics. It consists of two protons and two neutrons, giving it a charge of +2e (twice the elementary charge) and a mass of approximately 4 atomic mass units (u). The specific charge of an alpha particle can be calculated as follows:
Specific charge (α-particle) = (Charge of α-particle) / (Mass of α-particle) = (2e) / (4u) = (2 × elementary charge) / (4 × atomic mass unit)
The specific charge of an alpha particle is thus (1/2) times the elementary charge per atomic mass unit.