Question

Membrane walls of living cells have surprisingly large electric fields across them due to separation of ions. (Membranes are discussed in some detail in Nerve Conduction - Electrocardiograms.) What is the voltage across an 8.00 nm-thick membrane if the electric field strength across it is 5.50MV/m ?

Answer 1

The voltage across an 8.00 nm thick cell membrane in an electric field strength of 5.50 MV/m is 44 mV.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks to calculate the voltage across an 8.00 nm-thick cell membrane given an electric field strength of 5.50 MV/m. To find the voltage, we use the relationship between electric field (E), voltage (V), and distance (d), given by the equation V = Ed. Here, E is the electric field strength, and d is the thickness of the membrane.

First, convert the thickness of the membrane from nanometers to meters to ensure compatibility with the electric field units: 8.00 nm = 8.00 x 10-9 m. Now, multiply the electric field strength by the thickness of the membrane to get the voltage.

Voltage V = Electric field E x Distance d
V = 5.50 x 106 V/m x 8.00 x 10-9 m
V = 44 x 10-3 V
V = 44 mV

Therefore, the voltage across the 8.00 nm-thick membrane with an electric field strength of 5.50 MV/m is 44 mV.