A model of a red blood cell portrays the cell as a sphericalcapacitor, a positively charged liquid sphere of surface areaA separated from the surrounding negatively charged fluid bya membrane of thickness t . Tiny electrodes introduced intothe interior of the cell show a potential difference of 100. mVacross the membrane. The membrane’s thickness is estimatedto be 100. nm and has a dielectric constant of 5.00. (a) If anaverage red blood cell has a mass of 1.00 x 10-12 kg, estimatethe volume of the cell and thus find its surface area. The densityof blood is 1.10 x 103 kg/m3. (b) Estimate the capacitanceof the cell by assuming the membrane surfaces act as parallelplates. (c) Calculate the charge on the surface of the membrane.How many electronic charges does the surface chargerepresent?
Dielectric Constant Of Water
Water constitutes about 70% of earth. Some important distinguishing properties of water are high molar concentration, small dissociation constant and high dielectric constant.
Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance
An electrostatic force is a force caused by stationary electric charges /fields. The electrostatic force is caused by the transfer of electrons in conducting materials. Coulomb’s law determines the amount of force between two stationary, charged particles. The electric force is the force which acts between two stationary charges. It is also called Coulomb force.
A model of a red blood cell portrays the cell as a spherical
capacitor, a positively charged liquid sphere of surface area
A separated from the surrounding negatively charged fluid by
a membrane of thickness t . Tiny electrodes introduced into
the interior of the cell show a potential difference of 100. mV
across the membrane. The membrane’s thickness is estimated
to be 100. nm and has a dielectric constant of 5.00. (a) If an
average red blood cell has a mass of 1.00 x 10-12 kg, estimate
the volume of the cell and thus find its surface area. The density
of blood is 1.10 x 103 kg/m3. (b) Estimate the capacitance
of the cell by assuming the membrane surfaces act as parallel
plates. (c) Calculate the charge on the surface of the membrane.
How many electronic charges does the surface charge
represent?
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