Question

associate the type of gland with its

in the air. Once an responds to an e force that is due to an electric field E produced in the atmosphere by other point charges. Near the surface of Earth, this electric fieid has a magnitude of IE 150 N/C and is directed downward, as shown in the figure below. Calculate the change (in J) in electric potential energy of a released electron when it moves vertically upward through a distance d 597 m.

Answer 1

In the figure,we treat the cloud as one plate and earth's surface as the other plate of a parallel plate capacitor .The surface of earth is charged negative and the cloud is charged positive since the electric field is pointing down.As shown in figure, a free electron accelerates toward the cloud since negative charges free to move accelerate always toward the region of positive charges. The motion of the electron is accompanied by a reduction in its electric potential energy. The change in the electric potential energy is = -e*E*y

= -(1.60*10^-19 C)*(150 N/C)*(597 m)

= -1.4328*10^-14 J

In which the negative sign on the right hand side of the first formula is the result of a decreasing potential energy in the direction of increasing height y.