An electron and a proton starting from rest are accelerated through a potential difference of 1000 V. Which one of the following statements in this regard is correct?

When a charged particle is accelerated from rest through a potential difference (V), the kinetic energy (KE) gained is given by the formula KE = qV [1]. Since both the electron and the proton have the same magnitude of charge (e ≈ 1.602 × 10⁻¹⁹ C), they both gain the same amount of kinetic energy, which is 1000 eV. Kinetic energy is also defined by the relation KE = ½mv², where m is the mass and v is the speed. Because the mass of a proton is approximately 1836 times greater than the mass of an electron, the electron must have a significantly higher speed to possess the same kinetic energy. Therefore, while their energies are equal, the electron's speed will be much higher than that of the proton.

Sources

1. [1] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: Electricity > 11.7 HEA 11.7 HEA11.7 HEATING EFFECT OF ELECTRIC CURRENT > p. 188