A raindrop inside a thundercloud has charge -8e. What is the electric force on t

Question

A raindrop inside a thundercloud has charge -8e. What is the electric force on the raindrop (magnitude and direction) if the electric field at its location (due to other charges in the cloud) has magnitude 2.0 times 10^6 N/C (2.0 million Volts/meter) and is directed upward? Power lines have a limit on the maximum size of the electric field they are allowed to produce. In the United States, a maximum of 5 kN/C at 20 m from the wires is allowed. This is quite large compared to the Earth's fair-weather electric field of about 100 N/C (100 V/m). How much charge per unit length is on the wire for the maximum permissible electric field? Assume that the charge is static (not true, but a simplification here), and that a long wire model is a good approximation of a power line.

Explanation / Answer

1. q= -8e

E=+2.0*10^6 N/C

F=qE

E=(-8e)*(2.0*10^6)

F= (-8*1.6*10^-19)* (2.0*10^6)

F= -2.56*10^-12 N ………………..directed downward

2.

Electric field by a line charge distribution

E= /20d

Rearranging,

=E20d

Plug given values,

= 5000*2*3.14*8.85*10^-12*20

=5.56*10^-6 C/m

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