I need help on this problem:
Electrical discharge (sparks) in air occur when free ions in the air are accelerated to a high enough velocity by an electric field to ionize other gas molecules on impact. (a) Assuming that the ion moves, on average, 1 mean free path through the gas before hitting a molecule, and that it needs to acquire an energy of approximately 1eV to ionize it, esitmate the field strength required for electrical breakdown in air at a pressure and temperature of 1x10^5 N/m² and 300K. Assume that the cross-secional area of a nitrogen molecule is about 0.1nm². (b) how shoudl the breakdown potential depend on temperature (all other things being equal)? On pressure?
Electrical discharge (sparks) in air occur when free ions in the air are accelerated to a high enough velocity by an electric field to ionize other gas molecules on impact. (a) Assuming that the ion moves, on average, 1 mean free path through the gas before hitting a molecule, and that it needs to acquire an energy of approximately 1eV to ionize it, esitmate the field strength required for electrical breakdown in air at a pressure and temperature of 1x10^5 N/m² and 300K. Assume that the cross-secional area of a nitrogen molecule is about 0.1nm². (b) how shoudl the breakdown potential depend on temperature (all other things being equal)? On pressure?
