In a typical lightning strike, 2.5 C flows from cloud to ground in 0.20 ms.
What is the current during the strike?
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Hint: In case you have not read the definition of current, it is charge per unit time, which means the amount of transferred charge (in Coulombs) divided by how long it takes (in seconds). The unit of current is called an Ampere.
To calculate the current during a lightning strike, you can use the formula:
Current (I) = Charge (Q) / Time (t)
Where:
- Charge (Q) is the amount of charge that flows, given as 2.5 C (Coulombs) in this case.
- Time (t) is the duration of the flow, given as 0.20 ms (milliseconds) in this case.
Now, let's substitute these values into the formula to find the current:
I = Q / t
I = 2.5 C / 0.20 ms
However, it's important to note that when calculating the current, the time should be in seconds (s), not milliseconds (ms). Therefore, we need to convert the time from milliseconds to seconds by dividing it by 1000:
I = 2.5 C / (0.20 ms / 1000)
I = 2.5 C / 0.00020 s
Now, we can calculate the current:
I = 2.5 C / 0.00020 s
I ≈ 12500 A (Amperes)
Therefore, the current during the lightning strike is approximately 12500 Amperes (A).