In June 2007 there was a 321 km long lightning bolt over Oklahoma – the longest

Question

In June 2007 there was a 321 km long lightning bolt over Oklahoma – the longest ever recorded! The calculations below will make some very rough estimates of some of its properties.

(a) Just before the lightning bolt occurred, assume the electric field strength was a constant 3 × 106 V/m along the entire path that the lightning was going to travel. What was the magnitude of the potential difference between the starting and ending points?

(b) “Large” lightning strikes can carry more than 300 coulombs. If 300 C of charge was transferred across the potential difference found in part (a), how much electric potential energy was released by this lightning bolt?

(c) Does our estimate of the energy released by this lightning bolt depend on whether negative or positive charges were transferred? Briefly explain.

Explanation / Answer

d = 321 km = 321 x 10^3 m

E = 3 x 10^6 V/m

a)We know that,

V = E d

V = 3 x 10^6 x 321 x 10^3 = 9.63 x 10^11 Volts

Hence, V = 9.63 x 10^11 Volts

b)We know that,

U = q V

U = 300 x 9.63 x 10^11 = 2.89 x 10^14 J

Hence, U = 2.89 x 10^14 Jouls

c)No its does not depend on the polarity of charge. Because,

U = qV

so the magnitude of charge matters.

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