Concept explainers
A Lightning Strike
Storm clouds build up large negative charges, as described in the chapter. The charges dwell in charge centers, regions of concentrated charge. Suppose a cloud has –25 C in a 1.0|dash|km|dash|diameter spherical charge center located 10 km above the ground, as sketched in Figure P21.86. The negative charge center attracts a similar amount of positive charge that is spread on the ground below the cloud.
Figure P21.86
The charge center and the ground function as a charged capacitor, with a potential difference of approximately 4 × 108 V. The large electric field between these two "electrodes" may ionize the air, leading to a
What is the approximate magnitude of the electric field between the charge center and the ground?
A. 4 × 104 V/m
B. 4 × 105 V/m
C. 4 × 106 V/m
D. 4 × 107 V/m
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