Consider a bird as it flies to and lands on a power line with a potential V 880 V relative to ground potential. Just before the bird lands on the power line, the bird’s potential is zero; after it lands, its potential is 880 V. Long after it lands, the current through the bird is zero, but there is a nonzero current just after the bird lands (called a “transient” current).
(a) How much charge q must fl ow onto the bird (from the power line) to make the bird’s potential equal 880 V? Estimate q by approximating the bird as one side (one “plate”) of a capacitor, with the other plate at ground potential. Assume the value C 1.0 μF.
(b) If the bird’s resistance is 1000Ω, what is the time constant t for the circuit?
(c) The current I in this RC circuit flows for a time approximately equal to τ. Find the maximum value of I.