Question

Electric bees. Flying insects such as bees may accumulate a small positive electric charge as they fly. In one experiment, the mean electric charge of 50 bees was measured to be +30 PC per bee. Researchers also observed the electrical properties of a plant consisting of a flower on top of a long stem. The charge on the stem was measured as a positively charged bee approached, landed, and flew away. Plants are normally electrically neutral, so the measured net electric charge on the stem was zero when the bee was very far away. As the bee approached the flower, a small net positive charge was detected in the stem, even before the bee landed. Once the bee landed, the whole plant became positively charged, and this positive charge remained on the plant after the bee flew away. By creating artificial flowers with various charge values, experimenters found that bees can distinguish between charged and uncharged flowers and may use the positive electric charge left by an earlier bee as a cue to indicate that a plant has already been visited (in which case, little pollen may remain).

In a follow-up experiment, a charge of 38 pC was placed at the center of an artificial flower at the end of a 30-cm-long stem. Bees were observed to approach no closer than 17 cm from the center of this flower before they flew away. This observation suggests that the smallest external electric field to which bees may be sensitive is closest to which of these values?

a. 2.4 N/C
b. 16 N/C
c. 2.7 x10^-10 N/C
d. 4.8 x 10^-10 N/C

Answer 1

Answer: E = 11.8 N/C

Explanation: Electric field is electric force per unit of charge or

$E=\frac{F}{q}$

F is electric force calculated as:

$F=\frac{kQq}{r^{2}}$

Electric field will be:

$E=\frac{kQq}{qr^{2}}$

$E=\frac{kQ}{r^{2}}$

where k is coulomb constant and is approximately $9.10^{9}\frac{Nm^{2}}{C^{2}}$

Changing units to match the constant:

38pC = $38.10^{-12}$C

17cm = $17.10^{-2}$m

So, electric field for bees in the given conditions is:

$E=\frac{9.10^{9}.38.10^{-12}}{(17.10^{-2})^{2}}$

$E=\frac{342.10^{-3}}{289.10^{-4}}$

E = 11.8N/C

The smallest external electric field to which bees nay be sensitive is 11.8N/C