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 98 nm and has a dielectric constant of 5.00. (a) If an average red blood cell has a mass of 1.10 x 10-12 kg, estimate the volume of the cell and thus find its surface area. The density of blood is 1,100 kg/m3. (Assume the volume of blood due to components other than red blood cells is negligible.) v m3 volume 1E-15 surface area 4.8E-10 v m2 (b) Estimate the capacitance of the cell by assuming the membrane surfaces act as parallel plates. 2.2E-13 (c) Calculate the charge on the surface of the membrane. 2.2E-14 C How many electronic charges does the surface charge represent? 1.4E5

Principles of Physics: A Calculus-Based Text
5th Edition
ISBN:9781133104261
Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett
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Chapter20: Electric Potential And Capacitance
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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 98 nm and has a dielectric constant of 5.00.
(a) If an average red blood cell has a mass of 1.10 × 10¬12
kg, estimate the volume of the cell and thus find its surface area. The density of blood is 1,100 kg/m³. (Assume
the volume of blood due to components other than red blood cells is negligible.)
volume
1E-15
m3
surface area
4.8E-10
m2
(b) Estimate the capacitance of the cell by assuming the membrane surfaces act as parallel plates.
2.2E-13
(c) Calculate the charge on the surface of the membrane.
2.2E-14
How many electronic charges does the surface charge represent?
1.4E5
Your response is within 10% of the correct value. This may be due to roundoff error, or you could have a mistake in your calculation. Carry out all intermediate results to at
least four-digit accuracy to minimize roundoff error.
Transcribed Image Text: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 98 nm and has a dielectric constant of 5.00. (a) If an average red blood cell has a mass of 1.10 × 10¬12 kg, estimate the volume of the cell and thus find its surface area. The density of blood is 1,100 kg/m³. (Assume the volume of blood due to components other than red blood cells is negligible.) volume 1E-15 m3 surface area 4.8E-10 m2 (b) Estimate the capacitance of the cell by assuming the membrane surfaces act as parallel plates. 2.2E-13 (c) Calculate the charge on the surface of the membrane. 2.2E-14 How many electronic charges does the surface charge represent? 1.4E5 Your response is within 10% of the correct value. This may be due to roundoff error, or you could have a mistake in your calculation. Carry out all intermediate results to at least four-digit accuracy to minimize roundoff error.
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