Advertisements
Advertisements
प्रश्न
The discharging current in the atmosphere due to the small conductivity of air is known to be 1800 A on an average over the globe. Why then does the atmosphere not discharge itself completely in due course and become electrically neutral? In other words, what keeps the atmosphere charged?
Advertisements
उत्तर
The occurrence of thunderstorms and lightning charges the atmosphere continuously. Hence, even with the presence of discharging current of 1800 A, the atmosphere is not discharged completely. The two opposing currents are in equilibrium and the atmosphere remains electrically neutral.
संबंधित प्रश्न
Define an equipotential surface.
A regular hexagon of side 10 cm has a charge 5 µC at each of its vertices. Calculate the potential at the centre of the hexagon.
Two charges 2 μC and −2 µC are placed at points A and B 6 cm apart.
- Identify an equipotential surface of the system.
- What is the direction of the electric field at every point on this surface?
The top of the atmosphere is at about 400 kV with respect to the surface of the earth, corresponding to an electric field that decreases with altitude. Near the surface of the earth, the field is about 100 Vm−1. Why then do we not get an electric shock as we step out of our house into the open? (Assume the house to be a steel cage so there is no field inside!)
What are the forms of energy into which the electrical energy of the atmosphere is dissipated during a lightning?
(Hint: The earth has an electric field of about 100 Vm−1 at its surface in the downward direction, corresponding to a surface charge density = −10−9 C m−2. Due to the slight conductivity of the atmosphere up to about 50 km (beyond which it is good conductor), about + 1800 C is pumped every second into the earth as a whole. The earth, however, does not get discharged since thunderstorms and lightning occurring continually all over the globe pump an equal amount of negative charge on the earth.)
Draw equipotential surfaces:
(1) in the case of a single point charge and
(2) in a constant electric field in Z-direction. Why are the equipotential surfaces about a single charge not equidistant?
(3) Can electric field exist tangential to an equipotential surface? Give reason
Define equipotential surface.
Write two important characteristics of equipotential surfaces.
Statement - 1: For practical purpose, the earth is used as a reference at zero potential in electrical circuits.
Statement - 2: The electrical potential of a sphere of radius R with charge Q uniformly distributed on the surface is given by `Q/(4piepsilon_0R)`.
A particle of mass 'm' having charge 'q' is held at rest in uniform electric field of intensity 'E'. When it is released, the kinetic energy attained by it after covering a distance 'y' will be ______.
Assertion: Electric field is discontinuous across the surface of a spherical charged shell.
Reason: Electric potential is continuous across the surface of a spherical charged shell.
Consider the following statements and select the correct statement(s).
- Electric field lines are always perpendicular to equipotential surface.
- No two equipotential surfaces can intersect each other.
- Electric field lines are in the direction of tangent to an equipotential surface.
Which of the following is NOT the property of equipotential surface?
Can two equipotential surfaces intersect each other?
Consider a uniform electric field in the ẑ direction. The potential is a constant ______.
- in all space.
- for any x for a given z.
- for any y for a given z.
- on the x-y plane for a given z.
Equipotential surfaces ______.
- are closer in regions of large electric fields compared to regions of lower electric fields.
- will be more crowded near sharp edges of a conductor.
- will be more crowded near regions of large charge densities.
- will always be equally spaced.
Prove that a closed equipotential surface with no charge within itself must enclose an equipotential volume.
Equipotential surfaces are shown in figure. Then the electric field strength will be ______.
