Question

This question has me stumped because I am not really sure about the capacitor.
"Imagine a free electron and a free proton held midway between the plates of a charged parallel plate capacitor. When released, how do their accelerations and directions of travel compare? If we ignore their attraction to each other, which reaches a capacitor plate first?"
I think the electron will accelerate faster and reach the plate first, because it has less mass. But I am not sure how to compare their direction of travel. Thank you so much!

Answer 1

F =m•a,
F =e•E.
a=eE/m,
a(p)/a(e) = = m(e)/m(p),
They covered the same distances “y” (from midpoint to the plates, in the opposite directions):
y =a(p)t(p)^2/2 = a(e) •t(e)^2/2.
a(p)/a(e) =(t(e)/t(p))^2= m(e)/m(p).
t(p)/t(e) = sqrt{(m(p)/m(e)}=42.7