BRAINCAKEEnergy stored in a Thundercloud
If the air is subjected to an electric field strength of more than 300Vm-1 it ceases to be insulating. A thundercloud and the earth are similar to two parallel plates. The potential difference between the thundercloud and the earth depends on its height as V = Ed where d is its height above the ground. The energy stored by the thundercloud is equal to ½QV.
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Key terms in this lesson
- Electric field strength
- The electric force per unit charge acting on a small positive test charge placed at a point in an electric field.
More in Capacitors
- Capacitance
- Use of Capacitors
- Energy Stored in a Charged Capacitor
- Measuring the Energy Stored in a Charged Capacitor.
- Discharging a Capacitor through a Fixed Resistor
- Exponential Decay.
- The Time Constant RC
- Measurement with Oscilloscope. Capacitor Smoothing
All 12 lessons in Capacitors · All AQA A-level Physics topics