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Question
A man fixes outside his house one evening a two metre high insulating slab carrying on its top a large aluminium sheet of area 1 m2. Will he get an electric shock if he touches the metal sheet next morning?
Solution
Yes, the man will get an electric shock if he touches the metal slab next morning. The steady discharging current in the atmosphere charges up the aluminium sheet. As a result, its voltage rises gradually. The rise in the voltage depends on the capacitance of the capacitor formed by the aluminium slab and the ground.
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(i)![]() |
(ii)![]() |
(iii)![]() |
(iv)![]() |
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