About 5.0 x 10 m above Earth's surface, the atmosphere is sufficiently ionized that it behaves as a conductor. Earth and the ionosphere form a giant spherical capacitor, with the lower atmosphere acting as a leaky dielectric. (Earth radius 6371 km) 1. Find the capacitance C of the Earth- ionosphere system by treating it as a parallel plate capacitor. Why is it OK to do that? 2. The fair-weather electric field is about 150 V/m, downward. How much energy is stored in this capacitor? 3. Due to radioactivity and cosmic rays, some air molecules are ionized even in fair weather. The resistivity of air is roughly 3.0 x 10¹4 m. Find the resistance of the lower atmosphere and the total current that flows between Earth's surface and the ionosphere. 4. If there were no lightning, the capacitor would discharge. In this model how much time would elapse before Earth's charge were reduced to of its normal value? (thunderstorms are the sources of potential difference that maintain the charge on this leaky capacitor)
About 5.0 x 10 m above Earth's surface, the atmosphere is sufficiently ionized that it behaves as a conductor. Earth and the ionosphere form a giant spherical capacitor, with the lower atmosphere acting as a leaky dielectric. (Earth radius 6371 km) 1. Find the capacitance C of the Earth- ionosphere system by treating it as a parallel plate capacitor. Why is it OK to do that? 2. The fair-weather electric field is about 150 V/m, downward. How much energy is stored in this capacitor? 3. Due to radioactivity and cosmic rays, some air molecules are ionized even in fair weather. The resistivity of air is roughly 3.0 x 10¹4 m. Find the resistance of the lower atmosphere and the total current that flows between Earth's surface and the ionosphere. 4. If there were no lightning, the capacitor would discharge. In this model how much time would elapse before Earth's charge were reduced to of its normal value? (thunderstorms are the sources of potential difference that maintain the charge on this leaky capacitor)
College Physics
11th Edition
ISBN:9781305952300
Author:Raymond A. Serway, Chris Vuille
Publisher:Raymond A. Serway, Chris Vuille
Chapter1: Units, Trigonometry. And Vectors
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Could you please specify, why I can approximate the formula for spherical capacitor with the parallel plate formula?
Could the answer be related to the earth s radius of curvature?
Transcribed Image Text:About 5.0 x 104 m above Earth's surface, the
atmosphere is sufficiently ionized that it behaves
as a conductor. Earth and the ionosphere form a
giant spherical capacitor, with the lower
atmosphere acting as a leaky dielectric. (Earth
radius 6371 km)
1. Find the capacitance C of the Earth-
ionosphere system by treating it as a parallel
plate capacitor. Why is it OK to do that?
2. The fair-weather electric field is about 150
V/m, downward. How much energy is stored
in this capacitor?
3. Due to radioactivity and cosmic rays, some
air molecules are ionized even in fair
weather. The resistivity of air is roughly
3.0 x 10¹4 m. Find the resistance of the
lower atmosphere and the total current that
flows between Earth's surface and the
ionosphere.
4. If there were no lightning, the capacitor
would discharge. In this model how much
time would elapse before Earth's charge
were reduced to of its normal value?
(thunderstorms are the sources of potential
difference that maintain the charge on this
leaky capacitor.)
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