Question

dry air will support a maximum electric field strength of about 2.0x108V/m. Above that value, the field creates enough ionization in the air to make the air a conductor. this allows a discharge or spark that reduces the field. what, then, is the maximum voltage between two parrallel conducting plates separated by 3.5cm of dry air?

Answer 1

Maximum Field Strength $=2.0\times10^8\space V/m$

Separation between plates, $d=3.5\space cm=3.5\times10^{-2}\space m$

Electric field between two parallel conducting plates,

$E=\dfrac{V}{d}$

$V=E\times d=(2.0\times10^8)\times(3.5\times10^{-2})$

$V=7\times10^{6}\space V$

Maximum Voltage $=7\times10^6\space V$