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Lightning bolts can carry currents up to approximately 20 kA . We can model such a current as the equivalent of a very long, straight wire. (a) If you were unfortunate enough to be 5m away from such a lightning bolt, how large a magnetic field would you experience? (b) How does this field compare to one you would experience by being 5cm from a long, straight household current of 10A ?

Short Answer

Expert verified

a)B=8×10-4T

b)B=4×10-5T

Step by step solution

01

Take lightening as a very long wire

To simplify the calculations, we will take lightening as a very long wire. The formula of magnetic field will becomeB=μ0I2πr .

Given thatI=20kA and r = 5m .

B=μ0I2πrB=4π×107×200002π×5B=8×104T

02

Calculate the magnetic field for the second case

In the second case, r = 5 cm and I = 10 A .

B=4π×107×102π×5×102B=4×105T

We can see that field due to lightening bolt is about twenty times as strong as the field due to the household.

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