An electric eel generates electric currents through its highly specialized Hunte

Question

An electric eel generates electric currents through its highly specialized Hunter's organ, in which thousands of disk-shaped cells called electrocytes are lined up in series, very much in the same way batteries are lined up inside a flashlight. When activated, each electrocyte can maintain a potential difference of about 150 mV at a current of 1A for about 2.0 ms. Suppose a grown electric eel has 4.4 x 103 electrocytes and can deliver up to 300 shocks in rapid series over about 1s.

(a) What maximum electrical power can an electric eel generate?
______ W

(b) Approximately how much energy does it release in two shocks?
______ J

(c) How high would a mass of 8 kg have to be lifted so that its gravitational potential energy equals the energy released in 300 such shocks?
______ m

Explanation / Answer

a) P = IV = 150E-3*1 =150.0E-3 W
P = 4.4E3*150.0E-3 = 660 W

b) E = P t = 660*2.0E-3= 1.32 J

so E two shocks = 2.64 J

c) E = 300*1.32 = m g h

300*1.32 = 8*9.81*h

h=5.05 m

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