During a particular thunderstorm, the electric potential difference between a cloud and the ground is Vcloud - Vground = 1.3 × 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?
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To find the change in an electron's electric potential energy when it moves from the ground to the cloud, we can use the formula:
∆PE = q ∆V
where ∆PE is the change in electric potential energy, q is the charge of the electron, and ∆V is the change in electric potential.
The charge of an electron is typically represented as -e, where e is the elementary charge (-1.6 × 10^-19 C).
In this case, the change in electric potential (∆V) is given as Vcloud - Vground = 1.3 × 10^8 V.
Plugging in the values, we have:
∆PE = (-e) (Vcloud - Vground)
∆PE = (-1.6 × 10^-19 C) (1.3 × 10^8 V)
Calculating the value gives us:
∆PE = -2.08 × 10^-11 J
The negative sign indicates that the electron loses potential energy as it moves from ground to cloud.
Therefore, the change in an electron's electric potential energy when it moves from the ground to the cloud is approximately -2.08 × 10^-11 J.