Easy Electric Potentional Problem

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In summary, the electric potential difference between the ground and a cloud in a thunderstorm is 1.5E9 V. The magnitude of change in electric potential energy of an electron moving between the ground and cloud is 1.5 GeV. The conversion from Coulombs to eV is necessary to obtain the correct answer.
  • #1
exitwound
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Homework Statement



The electric potential difference between the ground and a cloud in a particular thunderstorm is 1.5E9 V. What is the magnitude of the change in the electric potential energy of an electron that moves between the ground and the cloud?

_____ GeV

Homework Equations



U\q=V

The Attempt at a Solution



This should be simple.

U=qV
U=(1.6e-19)(1.5 GV)
U=2.4e-19 GeV

Why is this not right?
 
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  • #2
Anyone? Still can't figure it out.
 
  • #3
NO one at all?
 
  • #4
exitwound said:

The Attempt at a Solution



This should be simple.

U=qV
U=(1.6e-19)(1.5 GV)
U=2.4e-19 GeV

Why is this not right?

What are the units on the 1.6e-19? Include the units in the calculation.
 
  • #5
Coulombs. I'm not following.
 
  • #6
Correct.

That would make the units in your answer Coulombs*V, and not eV. You'll have to convert to eV (or GeV).
 
  • #7
So, ... what, I divide by 1.6x10^-19?

U=2.4e-19 / 1.6e-19 = 1.5 GeV

There are too many stupid units in electromagnetism! This is driving me crazy.
 
  • #8
exitwound said:
So, ... what, I divide by 1.6x10^-19?
Yes. (Or don't multiply by 1.6x10^-19 in the first place.)

U=2.4e-19 / 1.6e-19 = 1.5 GeV
Yes, you got it. :smile:

There are too many stupid units in electromagnetism! This is driving me crazy.
You get used to it after awhile.

By the way, if you use elementary charge units instead of Coulombs here, it's simpler:

An electron has -1.00 elementary charges or -1.00 e of charge, so

U = q V
= (1.00 e) (1.5e9 V)
= ___ eV
= ___ GeV​
 

1. What is an electric potential problem?

An electric potential problem is a type of physics problem that involves calculating the electric potential (or voltage) at a given point in space due to one or more electric charges.

2. How do I solve an easy electric potential problem?

To solve an easy electric potential problem, you will need to know the magnitude and location of the electric charges, as well as the distance from the charges to the point where you want to find the potential. You can use the equation V = kQ/r, where V is the potential, k is a constant, Q is the charge, and r is the distance.

3. What are some common units for electric potential?

The SI unit for electric potential is the volt (V). Other common units include joules per coulomb (J/C) and electron volts (eV).

4. Can electric potential be negative?

Yes, electric potential can be negative. This indicates that the electric field is directed towards the point with negative potential. However, the magnitude of the potential is always positive.

5. How is electric potential different from electric field?

Electric potential is a scalar quantity that represents the amount of potential energy per unit charge at a given point in space. Electric field, on the other hand, is a vector quantity that represents the force exerted on a charged particle at a given point. The electric field is related to the electric potential by the equation E = -∇V, where ∇ is the gradient operator.

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