When lightning strikes the ground, it generates a large electric field along the surface of the ground directed toward the point of the strike. People near a lightning strike are often injured not by the lightning itself but by a large current that flows up one leg and down the other due to this electric field. To minimize this possibility, you are advised to stand with your feet close together if you are trapped outside during a lightning storm. Explain why this is beneficial.
Hint: The current path through your body, up one leg and down the other, has a certain resistance. The larger the current along this path, the greater the damage.
Want to see the full answer?
Check out a sample textbook solutionChapter 22 Solutions
College Physics: A Strategic Approach (3rd Edition)
Additional Science Textbook Solutions
Lecture- Tutorials for Introductory Astronomy
Conceptual Physical Science (6th Edition)
Sears And Zemansky's University Physics With Modern Physics
University Physics (14th Edition)
Conceptual Physics (12th Edition)
College Physics (10th Edition)
- (a) A defibrillator passes 12.0 A of current through the torso of a person for 0.0100 s. How much charge moves? (b) How many electrons pass through the wires connected to the patient? (See figure two problems earlier.)arrow_forwardA particle accelerator produces a beam with a radius of 1.25 mm with a current of 2.00 mA. Each proton has a kinetic energy of 10.00 MeV. (a) What is the velocity of the protons? (b) What is the number (n) of protons per unit volume? (b) How many electrons pass a cross sectional area each second?arrow_forward(a) What is the average power output of a heart defibrillator that dissipates 400 J of energy in 10.0 ms? (b) Considering the high-power output, why doesn’t the defibrillator produce serious bums?arrow_forward
- A Pairs of parallel wires or coaxial cables are two conductors separated by an insulator, so they have a capacitance. For a given cable, the capacitance is independent of the length if the cable is very long. A typical circuit model of a cable is shown in Figure P27.87. It is called a lumped-parameter model and represents how a unit length of the cable behaves. Find the equivalent capacitance of a. one unit length (Fig. P27.87A), b. two unit lengths (Fig. P27.87B), and c. an infinite number of unit lengths (Fig. P27.87C). Hint: For the infinite number of units, adding one more unit at the beginning does not change the equivalent capacitance.arrow_forwardAn electrophorus is a device developed more than 200 years ago for the purpose of charging objects. The insulator on top of a pedestal is rubbed with a cloth, such as wool (Fig. P23.18A). A conductor is placed on top of the insulator, and the conductor is connected to ground by a conducting wire (Fig. P23.18B). (The conductor has an insulating handle, so charge cannot be transferred between the person and the conductor.) The conductor is then removed (Fig. P23.18C). The conductor may then be used to transfer charge to other objects. If the insulators charge after being Ribbed with the wool is negative, what is the charge of the conductor when it is removed?arrow_forwardConsider the circuit shown in Figure P20.52, where C1 = 6.00 F, C2 = 3.00 F, and V = 20.0 V. Capacitor C1 is first charged by closing switch S1. Switch S1 is then opened, and the charged capacitor is connected to the uncharged capacitor by closing S2. Calculate (a) the initial charge acquired by C1 and (b) the final charge on each capacitor. Figure P20.52arrow_forward
- Chapter 26, Problem 024 GO Figure (a) gives the magnitude E(x) of the electric fields that have been set up by a battery along a resistive rod of length L = 9.00 mm (see Figure (b)). The vertical scale is set by Es = 4.80 ×103 v/m. The rod consists of three sections of the same material but with different radi. (The schematic diagram of the figure (b) below does not indicate the different radii.) The radius of section 3 is 2.03 mm. What is the radius of (a) section 1 and (b) section 2? E, x= 0 x = L 3 9 x (mm) (a) (b) (a) Number Units (b) Number Unitsarrow_forwardElectrons flow through a 3.0-mm-diameter aluminum wire at 1.8×10−4 m/s. How many electrons move through a cross section of the wire each day?arrow_forwardCertain fish, such as the Nile fish (Gnathonemus), concentrate charges in their head and tail, thereby producing an electric field in the water around them. This field creates a potential difference of a few volts between the head and tail, which in turn causes current to flow in the conducting seawater. As the fish swims, it passes near objects that have resistivities different from that of seawater, which in turn causes the current to vary. Cells in the skin of the fish are sensitive to this current and can detect changes in it. The changes in the current allow the fish to navigate.Since the electric field is weak far from the fish, we shall consider only the field running directly from the head to the tail. We can model the seawater through which that field passes as a conducting tube of area and having a potential difference across its ends. These fish navigate by responding to changes in the current in seawater. This current is due to a potential difference of around 3.00 V…arrow_forward
- A student reaches to open a door and gets a small electric shock. She knows that the shock is caused by static electricity, but it seems like in the winter she gets shocked more than in the summer. The student asks her science teacher if there are times of the year when there is more static electricity that builds up than other times of the year. The teacher replies that there is, and it depends on the humidity, or moisture in the air. The more humid the air is, the less static will build up and, therefore, the less you get shocked. Explain why static electricity does not build up as much when the air is humid. In your response, be sure to include: • an explanation of static electricity is formed. • an explanation of why the student felt a shock when reaching for the door handle. an explanation of how moisture in the air allows static electricity to dissipate.arrow_forwardA student reaches to open a door and gets a small electric shock. She knows that the shock is caused by static electricity, but it seems like in the winter she gets shocked more than in the summer. The student asks her science teacher if there are times of the year when there is more static electricity that builds up than other times of the year. The teacher replies that there is, and it depends on the humidity, or moisture in the air. The more humid the air is, the less static will build up and, therefore, the less you get shocked. Explain why static electricity does not build up as much when the air is humid. In your response, be sure to include: an explanation of static electricity is formed. an explanation of why the student felt a shock when reaching for the door handle. an explanation of how moisture in the air allows static electricity to dissipate. Be sure to consider the completeness of your response, supporting details, and accurate use of terms.arrow_forwardWhy is it a bad idea to keep your phone constantly charging? Explain in terms of physics what this does to your phone and how it happens.arrow_forward
- Principles of Physics: A Calculus-Based TextPhysicsISBN:9781133104261Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. JewettPublisher:Cengage LearningPhysics for Scientists and Engineers: Foundations...PhysicsISBN:9781133939146Author:Katz, Debora M.Publisher:Cengage Learning
- College PhysicsPhysicsISBN:9781938168000Author:Paul Peter Urone, Roger HinrichsPublisher:OpenStax College