A positively charged thunderhead (raincloud) hovers above a negatively charged patch of Earth. In the atmosphere in between these two charged objects there exists a uniform electric field of strength 36,000 N/C. Draw lots of pictures please. a) In what direction (up or down) does the electric field point? b) If a free electron is released from rest within this region, in which direction will it begin to move (up or down)? (Note: Gravitational force can be ignored here, since the electric force is much bigger!) c) What is the electron's speed after 1 nanosecond, assuming that it does not collide with anything during this time? (In fact, the electron would collide with air molecules, knocking more electrons free, in a sort of chain reaction, like one rock knocking loose several more in an avalanche. The light that gets emitted when the free electrons quickly settle back into atoms is called "lightning".)
A positively charged thunderhead (raincloud) hovers above a negatively charged patch of Earth. In the atmosphere in between these two charged objects there exists a uniform electric field of strength 36,000 N/C.
Draw lots of pictures please.
a) In what direction (up or down) does the electric field point?
b) If a free electron is released from rest within this region, in which direction will it begin to move (up or down)? (Note: Gravitational force can be ignored here, since the electric force is much bigger!)
c) What is the electron's speed after 1 nanosecond, assuming that it does not collide with anything during this time? (In fact, the electron would collide with air molecules, knocking more electrons free, in a sort of chain reaction, like one rock knocking loose several more in an avalanche. The light that gets emitted when the free electrons quickly settle back into atoms is called "lightning".)
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