Question

During a particular thunderstorm, the electric potential difference between a cloud and the ground is vcloud - vground = 3.50 108 v, with the cloud being at the higher potential. what is the change in an electron's electric potential energy when the electron moves from the ground to the cloud

Answer 1

The change in the electron's potential energy is equal to the work done on the electron by the electric field. The electron's potential energy is the stored energy relative to the electron's position in the electric field. Vcloud - Vground represents the change in Voltage. This voltage quantity is given to be 3.50 x 10^8 V, with the electron at the lower potential. The formula for calculating the change in the electron's potential energy (EPE) is found by charge x (Vcloud - Vground) = (EPEcloud - EPE ground) where charge is constant = 1.6 x 10^-19. Filling in the known quantities results in the expression 1.6 x 10^-19 (3.50 x 10^8) = (EPEcloud - EPEground) = 5.6 x 10^-11. Therefore, the change in the electron's potential energy from cloud to ground is 5.6 x 10^-11 joules.