Question

An electric eel generates electric currents through its highly specialized Hunter's organ, in which thousands of disk-shaped cells called electrocytes are lined up in series, very much in the same way batteries are lined up inside a flashlight. When activated, each electrocyte can maintain a potential difference of about 150 mV at a current of 1 A for about 2.0 ms. Suppose a grown electric eel has 3.50 ✕ 103 electrocytes and can deliver up to 300 shocks in rapid series over about 1 s.

a)What maximum electrical power can an electric eel generate?

b)Approximately how much energy does it release in two shocks?

c)How high would a mass of 3 kg have to be lifted so that its gravitational potential energy equals the energy released in 300 such shocks?

Answer 1

Given data :

The current produced by eel is I = 1 A

The number of electrolyte of eel is n = 3.50*10³

The potential difference of each electrolyte is = 150×10^-3 V

The time to maintain the potential difference is t = 2×10^-3 s

a.

The expression of power generated by eel is given by,

  

  

Thus, the power generated by eel is 525 W.

b.

The expression of the energy released in one shock is given by,

Substitute the given values.

  

Thus, the energy released in one shock is. 1.05 J.

c.

Given data :

The mass to be lifted is m = 3 kg

The number of shocks is n_s=30

The energy released in one shock is E = 1.05 J

The gravitational potential energy is equal to the energy released by 300 shocks

m

Thus, height of the mass is 10.71 m