Is It Safe to Sit in a Car During a Thunderstorm?
1 Answers
It is safe to stay in the car during a thunderstorm. The reasons are explained in detail below: 1. The principle used for lightning protection is equipotential bonding: This means connecting metal objects with wires or other metal objects. When a high-voltage lightning strike occurs, the potential of the metal objects becomes approximately equal, preventing the formation of a potential difference and thus no current flows. 2. It is very safe to be in the car during a thunderstorm: Because the metal shell of the car forms an equipotential surface, the potential of the people inside the car and the car itself is roughly equal. When lightning occurs, no current will be conducted to the people inside the car. Therefore, it is safe to be inside the car during a thunderstorm. 3. The car is a metal object: However, its enclosed structure makes it a 'Faraday cage.' The wet tires serve as the key component connecting the car body to the ground for conduction. Even if the car is struck by lightning, the current can pass through the car's outer shell and tires to the ground, causing no harm to the occupants inside.