a lightning bolt has a charge of about 5.0 C. How many excess electrons are present?
an electron is -1.6 * 10^-19 C
To determine the number of excess electrons present in a lightning bolt with a charge of 5.0 C, we need to know the charge of a single electron. The charge of an electron is approximately -1.6 x 10^-19 C.
To find the number of excess electrons, we can use the formula:
Number of excess electrons = Total charge / Charge of a single electron
Plugging in the values:
Number of excess electrons = 5.0 C / (-1.6 x 10^-19 C)
Performing the calculation:
Number of excess electrons ≈ -3.125 x 10^19 electrons
Note that the negative sign indicates the excess of electrons, as electrons have a negative charge. Therefore, approximately 3.125 x 10^19 excess electrons are present in a lightning bolt with a charge of 5.0 C.