Question

A tube of mercury with resistivity 9.84 × 10 -7 Ω ∙ m has an electric field inside the column of mercury of magnitude 23 N/C that is directed along the length of the tube. How much current is flowing through this tube if its diameter is 1.0 mm?

Answer 1

The current flowing through the tube can be calculated using Ohm's Law, which states that the current flowing through a conductor is equal to the electric field divided by the resistance. In this case, the electric field is 23 N/C and the resistance can be calculated using the formula: R = ρL / A.

Step-by-step explanation:

The current flowing through the tube can be calculated using Ohm's Law, which states that the current flowing through a conductor is equal to the electric field divided by the resistance:

I = E / R

In this case, the electric field is 23 N/C and the resistance can be calculated using the formula:

R = ρL / A

Where ρ is the resistivity, L is the length of the tube, and A is the cross-sectional area. Given that the diameter of the tube is 1.0 mm, the radius would be 0.5 mm or 0.0005 m. Therefore, the cross-sectional area can be calculated as:

A = πr^2

Once the resistance is known, the current can be calculated by substituting the values into Ohm's Law.