A computer technician is replacing a microprocessor on a computer \"mother\" boa

Question

A computer technician is replacing a microprocessor on a computer "mother" board. Unfortunately, she ignores the instruction that before handling the microprocessor she should touch a metal surface to discharge any static charge that may have accumulated on her hands/body. The result is that she inadvertently destroys the microprocessor by handling it without discharging herself as instructed. If the ESD (ElectroStatic Discharge) rating of the microprocessor is 3 kV, what was the least amount of electric charge that she had accumulated on her body? Hint: In this problem use a very simple model of the technician to be an isolated sphere (radius 0.75 m) that stored enough electrical charge to destroy the microprocessor when it was touched. Give your answer in the form of "a.bc x 10^(x)" micro-coulomb

Explanation / Answer

Here , for a sphere to elecric field is given as

E = KQ/d^2

3*10^6 = 9*10^9*Q/.75^2

Q = 1.875 * 10^-4 C

therefore the charge is

Q = 1.875*10^2 micro-coulomb

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