All Problems

Electric Current

Problem 3.216

A parallel-plate air capacitor whose plates are separated by a distance d=5.0 mmd=5.0 \mathrm{~mm} is first charged to a potential difference V=90 VV=90 \mathrm{~V} and then disconnected from a dc voltage source. Find the time interval during which the voltage across the capacitor decreases by η=1.0%,\eta=1.0 \%, taking into account that the average number of ion pairs formed in air under standard conditions per unit volume per unit time is equal to n˙i=5.0 cm3s1\dot{n}_{i}=5.0 \mathrm{~cm}^{-3} \cdot \mathrm{s}^{-1} and that the given voltage corresponds to the saturation current.

Reveal Answer
t=ε0ηU/en˙id2=4.6 days. t=\varepsilon_{0} \eta U / e \dot{n}_{i} d^{2}=4.6 \text { days. }