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Membrane walls of living cells have surprisingly large electric fields across them due to separation of ions.

What is the voltage across an (8.00 nm)–thick membrane if the electric field strength across it is (5.50 MV/m)?
a) (4.40 V)
b) (4.40 X 10^5 V)
c) (6.40 X 10^5 V)
d) (6.40 V)

1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

The voltage across an 8.00 nm-thick membrane with an electric field of 5.50 MV/m can be calculated using the formula V = E x d. After converting the thickness to meters and doing the calculation, the voltage is found to be 44 volts.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question is asking to calculate the voltage across a cell membrane, given the electric field strength and the thickness of the membrane. The electric field strength is given as 5.50 MV/m, and the thickness of the membrane is 8.00 nm. Voltage (V) can be found by the formula V = E × d, where E is the electric field and d is the distance (thickness).

First, convert the thickness into meters: 8.00 nm = 8.00 × 10-9 m. Then, multiply the electric field strength by the thickness to find the voltage:

V = 5.50 × 106 V/m × 8.00 × 10-9 m = 44 V

The voltage across a membrane can be calculated using the formula V = E * d, where V is the voltage, E is the electric field strength, and d is the thickness of the membrane. In this case, the electric field strength is given as 5.50 MV/m and the thickness of the membrane is given as 8.00 nm (which can be converted to meters by dividing by 10^9). Plugging in these values, we get V = (5.50 * 10^6 V/m) * (8.00 * 10^(-9) m) = 4.40 V. Therefore, the correct answer is option a) (4.40 V).

Therefore, the voltage across the membrane is 44 volts (option a).

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