Physics (5th Edition)
Physics (5th Edition)
5th Edition
ISBN: 9780321976444
Author: James S. Walker
Publisher: PEARSON
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Chapter 20, Problem 103PP

BIO The Electric Eel

Of the many unique and unusual animals that inhabit the rainforests of South America, one stands out because of its mastery of electricity. The electric eel (Electrophorus electricus), one of the few creatures on Earth able to generate, store, and discharge electricity, can deliver a powerful series of high-voltage discharges reaching 650 V. These jolts of electricity are so strong, in fact, that electric eels have been known to topple a horse crossing a stream 20 feet away, and to cause respiratory paralysis, cardiac arrhythmia, and even death in humans. Though similar in appearance to an eel, the electric “eel” is actually more closely related to catfish. They are found primarily in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins, where they navigate the slow-moving, muddy water with low-voltage electric organ discharges (EOD), saving the high-voltage EODs for stunning prey and defending against predators. Obligate air breathers, electric eels obtain about 80% of their oxygen by gulping air at the water’s surface. Even so, they are able to attain lengths of 2.5 m and a mass of 20 kg.

The organs that produce the eel’s electricity take up most of its body, and consist of thousands of modified muscle cells—called electroplaques—stacked together like the cells in a battery. Each electroplaque is capable of generating a voltage of 0.15 V, and together they produce a positive charge near the head of the eel and a negative charge near its tail.

• Electric eels produce an electric field within their body. In which direction does the electric field point?

  1. A. toward the head
  2. B. toward the tail
  3. C. upward
  4. D. downward
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Chapter 20 Solutions

Physics (5th Edition)

Ch. 20 - It is known that the electric potential is...Ch. 20 - Explain why equipotentials are always...Ch. 20 - Two charges are at locations that have the same...Ch. 20 - A capacitor is connected to a battery and fully...Ch. 20 - On which of the following quantities does the...Ch. 20 - We say that a capacitor stores charge, yet the...Ch. 20 - An electron is released from rest in a region of...Ch. 20 - A uniform electric field of magnitude 3.8 105 N/C...Ch. 20 - A uniform electric field of magnitude 6.8 105 N/C...Ch. 20 - BIO Electric Potential Across a Cell Membrane In a...Ch. 20 - An old-fashioned computer monitor accelerates...Ch. 20 - A parallel-plate capacitor has plates separated by...Ch. 20 - When an ion accelerates through a potential...Ch. 20 - The Electric Potential of the Earth The Earth has...Ch. 20 - A uniform electric field with a magnitude of 6860...Ch. 20 - Predict/Calculate A spark plug in a car has...Ch. 20 - A uniform electric field with a magnitude of 1200...Ch. 20 - A Charged Battery A typical 12-V car battery can...Ch. 20 - BIO Predict/Calculate The Sodium Pump Living cells...Ch. 20 - Predict/Calculate The electric potential of a...Ch. 20 - Points A and B have electric potentials of 332 V...Ch. 20 - Predict/Explain An electron is released from rest...Ch. 20 - Calculate the speed of (a) a proton and (b) an...Ch. 20 - Ion Thrusters NASAs Deep Space 1 and Dawn...Ch. 20 - Find the potential difference required to...Ch. 20 - Predict/Calculate A particle with a mass of 3.8 g...Ch. 20 - Conduction Electrons In the microscopic view of...Ch. 20 - A proton has an initial speed of 5.5 105 m/s. (a)...Ch. 20 - In Figure 20-29, q1 = +1.8 nC and q2 = 2.1 nC, and...Ch. 20 - In Figure 20-29, it is given that, q1 = +Q. (a)...Ch. 20 - CE The charge q1 in Figure 20-29 has the value +Q....Ch. 20 - CE It is given that the electric potential is zero...Ch. 20 - The electric potential 1.6 m from a point charge q...Ch. 20 - A point charge of 9.2 C is at the origin. What is...Ch. 20 - The Bohr Atom The hydrogen atom consists of one...Ch. 20 - How far must the point charges q1 = +6.22 C and q2...Ch. 20 - Four different arrangements of point charges are...Ch. 20 - Predict/Calculate Point charges +4.1 C and 2.2C...Ch. 20 - In Figure 20-31, the charge q = 4.11 10-9C. (a)...Ch. 20 - Predict/Calculate In Figure 20-31, the charge q =...Ch. 20 - A charge of 4.07C is held fixed at the origin. A...Ch. 20 - Predict/Calculate A charge of 20.2 C is held fixed...Ch. 20 - A charge of 2.505 C is located at (3.055 m, 4.501...Ch. 20 - Predict/Calculate Figure 20-32 shows three charges...Ch. 20 - How much work must be done to move the three...Ch. 20 - (a) Find the electric potential at point P in...Ch. 20 - A square of side a has a charge +Q at each corner....Ch. 20 - A square of side a has charges +Q and Q...Ch. 20 - Predict/Explain (a) is the electric potential at...Ch. 20 - Predict/Explain Imagine sketching a large number...Ch. 20 - Two point charges are on the x axis. Charge 1 is...Ch. 20 - Figure 20-35 shows a series of equipotentials in a...Ch. 20 - Predict/Calculate Consider a region in space where...Ch. 20 - A given system has the equipotential surfaces...Ch. 20 - A given system has the equipotential surfaces...Ch. 20 - A 0.75-F capacitor is connected to a 9.0-V...Ch. 20 - It is desired that 7.7 C of charge be stored on...Ch. 20 - To operate a given flash lamp requires a charge of...Ch. 20 - Planet Capacitor It can be shown that the...Ch. 20 - A parallel-plate capacitor is made from two...Ch. 20 - A parallel-plate capacitor is constructed with...Ch. 20 - Predict/Calculate A parallel-plate capacitor has...Ch. 20 - Predict/Calculate A 72-nF parallel-plate capacitor...Ch. 20 - Predict/Calculate Consider a parallel-plate...Ch. 20 - A parallel-plate capacitor has plates of area 3.75...Ch. 20 - Predict/Calculate A parallel-plate capacitor...Ch. 20 - Suppose that after walking across a carpeted floor...Ch. 20 - (a) What plate area is required for an air-filled,...Ch. 20 - Lightning As a crude model for lightning, consider...Ch. 20 - A parallel-plate capacitor is made from two...Ch. 20 - Calculate the work done by a 9.0-V battery as it...Ch. 20 - BIO Defibrillator An automatic external...Ch. 20 - BIOPredict/Calculate Cell Membranes The membrane...Ch. 20 - A capacitor with plate area 0.0440 m2 and plate...Ch. 20 - Find the electric energy density between the...Ch. 20 - What electric field strength would store 17.5 J of...Ch. 20 - An electronic flash unit for a camera contains a...Ch. 20 - A parallel-plate capacitor has plates with an area...Ch. 20 - CE Predict/Explain A proton is released from rest...Ch. 20 - CE The plates of a parallel-plate capacitor have...Ch. 20 - CE A parallel-plate capacitor is connected to a...Ch. 20 - CE The plates of a parallel-plate capacitor have...Ch. 20 - CE A parallel-plate capacitor is connected to a...Ch. 20 - Find the difference in electric potential, V = VB ...Ch. 20 - A 0.32-F capacitor is charged by a 1.5-V battery....Ch. 20 - A charge of 22.5 C is located at (4.40 m, 6.22 m),...Ch. 20 - The Bohr Model In the Bohr model of the hydrogen...Ch. 20 - Predict/Calculate A +1.2-C charge and a 1.2-C...Ch. 20 - How much work is required to bring three protons,...Ch. 20 - A point charge Q = +87.1 C is held fixed at the...Ch. 20 - Electron Escape Speed An electron is at rest just...Ch. 20 - Quark Model of the Neutron According to the quark...Ch. 20 - A parallel-plate capacitor is charged to an...Ch. 20 - Predict/Calculate The three charges shown in...Ch. 20 - (a) In Figure 20-36 we see that the electric...Ch. 20 - BIO Predict/Calculate Electric Catfish The...Ch. 20 - Regenerative Braking Many electric cars can...Ch. 20 - Predict/Calculate Computer Keyboards Many computer...Ch. 20 - Predict/Calculate A point charge of mass 0.081 kg...Ch. 20 - BIO Cell Membranes and Dielectrics Many cells in...Ch. 20 - BIO Mitochondrial Membrane Every cell in the body...Ch. 20 - Long, long ago, on a planet far, far away, a...Ch. 20 - Rutherfords Planetary Model of the Atom In 1911,...Ch. 20 - Predict/Calculate (a) One of the Q charges in...Ch. 20 - Figure 20-38 shows a charge q = +6.77 C with a...Ch. 20 - The electric potential a distance r from a point...Ch. 20 - When the potential difference between the plates...Ch. 20 - The electric potential a distance r from a point...Ch. 20 - BIO The Electric Eel Of the many unique and...Ch. 20 - As a rough approximation, consider an electric eel...Ch. 20 - In terms of the parallel-plate model of the...Ch. 20 - How much energy is stored by an electric eel when...Ch. 20 - Predict/Calculate Referring to Example 20-9...Ch. 20 - Referring to Example 20-9 Suppose we can change...Ch. 20 - Predict/Calculate Referring to Example 20-9...
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