What Voltage Does a Bird Feel on a Power Line?

[Liketothink]

Homework Statement

A bird stands on an electric transmission line carrying 2210 A, as seen in the figure below. The line has 3.32E-5 Ω resistance per meter and the bird's feet are 3.80 cm apart. What voltage does the bird feel?

Homework Equations

R=sigma(L)/A
I=V/R

The Attempt at a Solution

I wanted to solve for V of the bird, but neither the resistance of the bird nor the area of the bird is given. Help?

 

[mgb_phys]

You are trying to find the voltage difference between the two points on the wire.
Think of the section of wire as a resistor

 

[Integral]

You are asked to find the potential difference between the birds legs. You do not need to know anything about the bird to find this. Your are given a resistivity, a distance and a current. Find the voltage.

 

[turbo]

I think you are being asked to calculate the difference in potential (voltage) between the bird's feet. Just leave the bird out of it and calculate the voltage drop over 3.8 cm of transmission line.

Edit: Oops! Upstaged TWICE

 

[Liketothink]

Ok so I got it by using voltage loss=amps*wire resitance/meter*distance
Usually this equation is
voltage loss=amps*wire resitance/meter*distance*2 wires
Why was it not necessary to multiply the answer by 2 in this case?

 

[mgb_phys]

Where did the 2 come from ?

 

[Liketothink]

I thought that was the equation for voltage loss. Is it not?

 

[turbo]

Is the "2" perhaps included in that to calculate the voltage loss over a 2-conductor cable, like a lamp-cord?