Question

Cell Membranes and Dielectrics Many cells in the body have a cell membrane whose inner and...

Cell Membranes and Dielectrics Many cells in the body have a cell membrane whose inner and outer surfaces carry opposite charges, just like the plates of a parallel-plate capacitor. Suppose a typical cell membrane has a thickness of 8.4×10−9 m , and its inner and outer surfaces carry charge densities of -5.3×10−4 C/m2 and +5.3×10−4 C/m2 , respectively. In addition, assume that the material in the cell membrane has a dielectric constant of 5.4.

Part A

Find the direction of the electric field within the cell membrane.

into the cell or out of the cell?

Part B

Find the magnitude of the electric field within the cell membrane.

E = N/C

Part C

Calculate the potential difference between the inner and outer walls of the membrane. Use mV as your unit

Part D

Indicate which wall of the membrane has the higher potential.

Inner or Outer?

Science   Physics   
0 0
Add a commentTranscribed image text
Next >

Homework Answers

Answer #2

answered by: anonymous
0 0
Know the answer?
Your Answer:

Post as a guest

Your Name:

What's your source?

Earn Coins

Coins can be redeemed for fabulous gifts.

Log In

Sign Up

Not the answer you're looking for?
Ask your own homework help question
Similar Questions
Many cells in the body have a cell membrane whose inner and outer surfaces carry opposite...
Many cells in the body have a cell membrane whose inner and outer surfaces carry opposite charges, just like the plates of a parallel-plate capacitor. Suppose a typical cell membrane has a thickness of 8.5×10−9 m , and its inner and outer surfaces carry charge densities of -6.3×10−4 C/m2 and +6.3×10−4 C/m2 , respectively. In addition, assume that the material in the cell membrane has a dielectric constant of 5.5. 1. Find the direction of the electric field within the...
The membrane surrounding a living cell consists of an inner and an outer wall that are...
The membrane surrounding a living cell consists of an inner and an outer wall that are separated by a small space. Assume that the membrane acts like a parallel plate capacitor in which the effective charge density on the inner and outer walls has a magnitude of 7.0 × 10-6 C/m2. (a) What is the magnitude of the electric field within the cell membrane? (b) Find the magnitude of the electric force that would be exerted on a potassium ion...
Problem 18.77: Potential in human cells. Some cell walls in the human body have a layer...
Problem 18.77: Potential in human cells. Some cell walls in the human body have a layer of negative charge on the inside surface and a layer of positive charge of equal magnitude on the outside surface. Suppose that the charge density on either surface is ± 0.50×10−3 C/m2, the cell wall is 5.0 nm thick, and the cell-wall material is air. Part A Find the magnitude of E⃗ in the wall between the two layers of charge. Express your answer...
A typical cell has a membrane potential of -70 mV, meaning that the potential inside the...
A typical cell has a membrane potential of -70 mV, meaning that the potential inside the cell is 70 mV less than the potential outside due to a layer of negative charge on the inner surface of the cell wall and a layer of positive charge on the outer surface. This effectively makes the cell wall a charged capacitor. Because a cell's diameter is much larger than the wall thickness, it is reasonable to ignore the curvature of the cell...
Some cell walls in the human body have a layer of negative charge on the inside...
Some cell walls in the human body have a layer of negative charge on the inside surface and a layer of positive charge of equal magnitude on the outside surface. Suppose that the charge density on either surface is ± 0.50×10−3 C/m2, the cell wall is 5.1 nm thick, and the cell-wall material is air. Notes about Problem 18.77 and a Hint for Part D: The cell wall/membrane creates a separation of charge between the inside and outside of a...
A model of a red blood cell portrays the cell as a spherical capacitor, a positively...
A model of a red blood cell portrays the cell as a spherical capacitor, a positively charged liquid sphere of surface area A separated from the surrounding negatively charged fluid by a membrane of thickness t. Tiny electrodes introduced into the interior of the cell show a potential difference of 100 mV across the membrane. The membrane's thickness is estimated to be 99 nm and has a dielectric constant of 5.00. (a) If an average red blood cell has a...
A model of a red blood cell portrays the cell as a spherical capacitor, a positively...
A model of a red blood cell portrays the cell as a spherical capacitor, a positively charged liquid sphere of surface area A separated from the surrounding negatively charged fluid by a membrane of thickness t. Tiny electrodes introduced into the interior of the cell show a potential difference of 100 mV across the membrane. The membrane's thickness is estimated to be 103 nm and has a dielectric constant of 5.00. (a) If an average red blood cell has a...
1,The same voltage is applied between the plates of two different capacitors. When used with capacitor...
1,The same voltage is applied between the plates of two different capacitors. When used with capacitor A, this voltage causes the capacitor to store 15 μC of charge and 3.4 x 10-5 J of energy. When used with capacitor B, which has a capacitance of 7.9 μF, this voltage causes the capacitor to store a charge that has a magnitude of qB. Determine qB. 2,The membrane that surrounds a certain type of living cell has a surface area of 6.0...
A simplified model for an erythrocyte is a spherical capacitor with a positively charged liquid interior...
A simplified model for an erythrocyte is a spherical capacitor with a positively charged liquid interior of surface area A. The interior fluid is separated by a membrane of thickness b from the surrounding, negatively charged, plasma fluid. The potential difference across the membrane is 128 mV, and the thickness of the membrane is about 100 nm with a dielectric constant of κ = 5.1. Use 1.06 g/cm3 as the density of blood. (a) Calculate the volume of the blood...
1.A neuron is a cell which carries electric current. Suppose that a neuron has a 6.0...
1.A neuron is a cell which carries electric current. Suppose that a neuron has a 6.0 nm thick membrane. Its outside and inside surfaces contain charge, and the dielectric constant of the membrane is 7.0. Estimate, to one significant figure, the capacitance of this membrane per m2 by modeling it as a parallel-plate capacitor. 2. Charges −q and q are placed at the points (0, d/2) and (0, −d/2), respectively. A third charge +Q is placed at (s, 0). Find...
ADVERTISEMENT
Need Online Homework Help?

Get Answers For Free
Most questions answered within 1 hours.

Ask a Question
ADVERTISEMENT