BRAINCAKEEnergy stored in a Thundercloud
If the air is subjected to an electric field strength of more than 300kV-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.
Sign in free to see the rest of this lesson, the R.E.C.I.P.E. recall steps and the quiz
BrainCake is free. Make an account in seconds and pick up where this page stops.
Key terms in this lesson
- electric field
- A region of space in which a charged object experiences a force due to the presence of another charge.
- electric field strength
- The force per unit charge 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 OCR A-level Physics topics