Question

In a thunderstorm, the air must be ionized by a high voltage before a conducting path for a lightning bolt can be created. an electric field of about 1.0 × 106 v/m is required to ionize dry air. what would the break- down voltage in air be if a thundercloud were 1.60 km above ground? assume that the electric field between the cloud and the ground is uniform.

Answer 1

We know that the electric field is equal to 1 E 6 V/m

The distance between the thundercloud and the ground is 1.6km = 1600m

Electric field = Voltage/distance

This means that the breakdown voltage must be equal to

V = 1 E 6 V/m * 1600m = 1.6 E 9 V = 1.6 GV