I’ve always heard that electricity follows the shortest path – for instance, lightning will use your body for a conduit if you’re the tallest thing around. How exactly does that work?
In: Planetary Science
it doesnt, it takes all paths. lightning is “trying” to use anything as a conduit. You’re MORE LIKELY but not guaranteed to get struck than something shorter because you there’s less distance (less resistance) for the electric charge to cover.
a tall person in a large group of people would be less likely to get struck by lightning than someone shorter but off standing on their own. lightning “likes” tall pointy objects that are isolated. the simple explanation there is that there are less possible paths it can take.
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