How does electricity know where to go/where the path of least resistance is?

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My wife and I were talking about the best way to avoid getting struck by lighting, and I was saying you want to avoid being the path of least resistance by staying in your car, or making yourself a small ball and staying on your toes when my wife asked this question.

In: Physics

6 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Electricity in general doesn’t stay on a “path of least resistance”, in the same way that water doesn’t stay in only the widest river.

A hard-topped car is a good place to duck into, if you’re caught in a lightning storm, because the metal acts as a conducting cage surrounding you. Rubber “insulating” tires are irrelevant — motorcycles are not safe.

If you’re absolutely caught in the open, some sources have said you should put distance between yourself & any nearby tall things, put your hands on your head, crouch with your elbows on your knees, and “hope” you redirect some electric current away from your heart, through your arms. Staying outside in the “crouch” is not a first choice, though, as mentioned here: https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-crouch

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