on ordinary days as one goes upward from the surface of the ground the electric potential increases by 100 volts per meter, this means that outdoors the potential of your nose is 200 volts higher than at your feet. then why is it that none of us get a shock when we go out in the street?
Answers
Explanation:
On an ordinary day over flat desert country, or over the sea, as one goes upward from the surface of the ground the electric potential increases by about 100 volts per meter. Thus there is a vertical electric field E of 100 volts/m in the air. The sign of the field corresponds to a negative charge on the earth’s surface. This means that outdoors the potential at the height of your nose is 200 volts higher than the potential at your feet! You might ask: “Why don’t we just stick a pair of electrodes out in the air one meter apart and use the 100 volts to power our electric lights?” Or you might wonder: “If there is really a potential difference of 200 volts between my nose and my feet, why is it I don’t get a shock when I go out into the street?”