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Section summary

  • The voltage between points A and B is
    V AB = Ed E = V AB d (uniform E - field only),
    where d size 12{d} {} is the distance from A to B, or the distance between the plates.
  • In equation form, the general relationship between voltage and electric field is
    E = Δ V Δ s , size 12{E= - { {ΔV} over {Δs} } } {}
    where Δ s size 12{Δs} {} is the distance over which the change in potential, Δ V size 12{Δ`V} {} , takes place. The minus sign tells us that E size 12{E} {} points in the direction of decreasing potential.) The electric field is said to be the gradient (as in grade or slope) of the electric potential.

Conceptual questions

Discuss how potential difference and electric field strength are related. Give an example.

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What is the strength of the electric field in a region where the electric potential is constant?

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Will a negative charge, initially at rest, move toward higher or lower potential? Explain why.

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Problems&Exercises

Show that units of V/m and N/C for electric field strength are indeed equivalent.

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What is the strength of the electric field between two parallel conducting plates separated by 1.00 cm and having a potential difference (voltage) between them of 1 . 50 × 10 4 V size 12{1 "." "50" times "10" rSup { size 8{4} } `V} {} ?

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The electric field strength between two parallel conducting plates separated by 4.00 cm is 7 . 50 × 10 4 V/m size 12{7 "." "50"´"10" rSup { size 8{4} } " V/m"} {} . (a) What is the potential difference between the plates? (b) The plate with the lowest potential is taken to be at zero volts. What is the potential 1.00 cm from that plate (and 3.00 cm from the other)?

(a) 3 . 00 kV size 12{3 "." "00"" kV"} {}

(b) 750 V size 12{"750"" V"} {}

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How far apart are two conducting plates that have an electric field strength of 4 . 50 × 10 3 V/m size 12{4 "." "50" times "10" rSup { size 8{3} } `"V/m"} {} between them, if their potential difference is 15.0 kV?

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(a) Will the electric field strength between two parallel conducting plates exceed the breakdown strength for air ( 3.0 × 10 6 V/m size 12{3 times "10" rSup { size 8{6} } `"V/m"} {} ) if the plates are separated by 2.00 mm and a potential difference of 5.0 × 10 3 V size 12{5 times "10" rSup { size 8{3} } `"V"} {} is applied? (b) How close together can the plates be with this applied voltage?

(a) No. The electric field strength between the plates is 2.5 × 10 6 V/m, size 12{2.5 times "10" rSup { size 8{6} } `"V/m"} {} which is lower than the breakdown strength for air ( 3.0 × 10 6 V/m size 12{3 times "10" rSup { size 8{6} } `"V/m"} {} ).

(b) 1.7 mm

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The voltage across a membrane forming a cell wall is 80.0 mV and the membrane is 9.00 nm thick. What is the electric field strength? (The value is surprisingly large, but correct. Membranes are discussed in Capacitors and Dielectrics and Nerve Conduction—Electrocardiograms .) You may assume a uniform electric field.

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Membrane walls of living cells have surprisingly large electric fields across them due to separation of ions. (Membranes are discussed in some detail in Nerve Conduction—Electrocardiograms .) What is the voltage across an 8.00 nm–thick membrane if the electric field strength across it is 5.50 MV/m? You may assume a uniform electric field.

44.0 mV

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Two parallel conducting plates are separated by 10.0 cm, and one of them is taken to be at zero volts. (a) What is the electric field strength between them, if the potential 8.00 cm from the zero volt plate (and 2.00 cm from the other) is 450 V? (b) What is the voltage between the plates?

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Find the maximum potential difference between two parallel conducting plates separated by 0.500 cm of air, given the maximum sustainable electric field strength in air to be 3.0 × 10 6 V/m size 12{3 times "10" rSup { size 8{6} } `"V/m"} {} .

15 kV size 12{"15 kV"} {}

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A doubly charged ion is accelerated to an energy of 32.0 keV by the electric field between two parallel conducting plates separated by 2.00 cm. What is the electric field strength between the plates?

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An electron is to be accelerated in a uniform electric field having a strength of 2 . 00 × 10 6 V/m size 12{2 "." "00" times "10" rSup { size 8{6} } `"V/m"} {} . (a) What energy in keV is given to the electron if it is accelerated through 0.400 m? (b) Over what distance would it have to be accelerated to increase its energy by 50.0 GeV?

(a) 800 KeV size 12{"800"" KeV"} {}

(b) 25.0 km size 12{"25" "." 0" km"} {}

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Questions & Answers

Ayele, K., 2003. Introductory Economics, 3rd ed., Addis Ababa.
Widad Reply
can you send the book attached ?
Ariel
?
Ariel
What is economics
Widad Reply
the study of how humans make choices under conditions of scarcity
AI-Robot
U(x,y) = (x×y)1/2 find mu of x for y
Desalegn Reply
U(x,y) = (x×y)1/2 find mu of x for y
Desalegn
what is ecnomics
Jan Reply
this is the study of how the society manages it's scarce resources
Belonwu
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macroeconomic is the branch of economics which studies actions, scale, activities and behaviour of the aggregate economy as a whole.
husaini
etc
husaini
difference between firm and industry
husaini Reply
what's the difference between a firm and an industry
Abdul
firm is the unit which transform inputs to output where as industry contain combination of firms with similar production 😅😅
Abdulraufu
Suppose the demand function that a firm faces shifted from Qd  120 3P to Qd  90  3P and the supply function has shifted from QS  20  2P to QS 10  2P . a) Find the effect of this change on price and quantity. b) Which of the changes in demand and supply is higher?
Toofiq Reply
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innocent Reply
factors influencing supply
Petrus Reply
what is economic.
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Jan
economics is a science that studies human behaviour as a relationship b/w ends and scares means which have alternative uses
Jan
calculate the profit maximizing for demand and supply
Zarshad Reply
Why qualify 28 supplies
Milan
what are explicit costs
Nomsa Reply
out-of-pocket costs for a firm, for example, payments for wages and salaries, rent, or materials
AI-Robot
concepts of supply in microeconomics
David Reply
economic overview notes
Amahle Reply
identify a demand and a supply curve
Salome Reply
i don't know
Parul
there's a difference
Aryan
Demand curve shows that how supply and others conditions affect on demand of a particular thing and what percent demand increase whith increase of supply of goods
Israr
Hi Sir please how do u calculate Cross elastic demand and income elastic demand?
Abari
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Source:  OpenStax, College physics. OpenStax CNX. Jul 27, 2015 Download for free at http://legacy.cnx.org/content/col11406/1.9
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