Step 1: Understanding the motion of charged particles in a magnetic field.
When charged particles such as protons and \( \alpha \)-particles enter a magnetic field perpendicular to their motion, they undergo circular motion. The periodic time (T) for a charged particle moving in a magnetic field is given by the formula:
\[
T = \frac{2\pi m}{qB}
\]
where \(m\) is the mass of the particle, \(q\) is the charge, and \(B\) is the magnetic field strength.
Step 2: Comparing proton and \( \alpha \)-particle.
- A proton has a charge \(q_p = +e\) and mass \(m_p = m_p\). An \( \alpha \)-particle has a charge \(q_{\alpha} = 2e\) and mass \(m_{\alpha} = 4m_p\).
- Since the \( \alpha \)-particle has twice the charge and four times the mass of the proton, its periodic time will be longer than that of the proton.
- The periodic time for the proton is given as 25 \( \mu \)s for 5 revolutions, which means the periodic time is 5 \( \mu \)s. The periodic time for the \( \alpha \)-particle would be:
\[
T_{\alpha} = 2 \times T_{\text{proton}} = 2 \times 25 \, \mu s = 10 \, \mu s
\]
Step 3: Conclusion.
The periodic time for the \( \alpha \)-particle is 10 \( \mu \)s. Thus, the correct answer is (3).