Question

An airplane is flying through a thunder-

cloud at a height of 1800 m. (This is very

dangerous because of updrafts, turbulence,

and the possibility of electric discharge.)

If there are charge concentrations of 59 C

at height 4600 m within the cloud and -42 C

at height 1496 m, what is the strength of the

electric field E at the aircraft? The value of

the Coulomb constant is 8.99 × 109 N·m2/C2.

Answer in units of V/m.