How many excess electrons are there in a typical lightning bolt that has about 16 C of charge?

Answer

1 x 1020

1 x 1019

10

1 x 1016

1 electron= 1.6E-19C

1C= 1/1.6E-19 = 6.25 E18 electrons
so then 16 times that is ....

To determine the number of excess electrons in a lightning bolt, we need to know the charge of an individual electron, which is approximately 1.6 x 10^(-19) C.

To find the number of excess electrons, we can divide the total charge of the lightning bolt (16 C) by the charge of a single electron (1.6 x 10^(-19) C):

Number of excess electrons = Total charge / Charge of a single electron

Number of excess electrons = 16 C / (1.6 x 10^(-19) C)

Simplifying this equation, we divide 16 by (1.6 x 10^(-19)) and get:

Number of excess electrons ≈ 1 x 10^(20)

So, there are approximately 1 x 10^(20) excess electrons in a typical lightning bolt with a charge of 16 C. Therefore, the correct answer is "1 x 10^(20)".

To calculate the number of excess electrons in a lightning bolt, we can use the equation:

Q = ne

Where:
Q = charge (in coulombs)
n = number of excess electrons
e = charge of an electron (1.6 x 10^-19 coulombs)

In this case, the charge (Q) is given as 16 C. Therefore:

16 C = n × (1.6 × 10^-19 C)

Simplifying the equation:

n = 16 C / (1.6 × 10^-19 C)

n = 1 x 10^19

Therefore, the number of excess electrons in a lightning bolt with about 16 C of charge is 1 x 10^19.