Lightning As a crude model for lightning, consider the | StudySoup

Textbook Solutions for Physics with MasteringPhysics

Chapter 20 Problem 61P

Question

Problem 61P

Lightning As a crude model for lightning, consider the ground to be one plate of a parallel-plate capacitor and a cloud at an altitude of 550 m to be the other plate. Assume the surface area of the cloud to be the same as the area of a square that is 0.50 km on a side, (a) What is the capacitance of this capacitor? (b) How much charge can the cloud hold before the dielectric strength of the air is exceeded and a spark (lightning) results?

Solution

Step 1 of 2:-

Here, we have to find the capacitance of the capacitor.

The plates have are of,

   

    .

The separation is,

.

So, the capacitance will be,

   

   

     

So, the capacitance is .

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full solution

Title Physics with MasteringPhysics 4 
Author James S. Walker
ISBN 9780321541635

Lightning As a crude model for lightning, consider the

Chapter 20 textbook questions

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