Why Are Cars Not Afraid of Lightning Strikes?
1 Answers
Here are the reasons why cars are not afraid of lightning strikes: The car's shell is similar to a Faraday cage: The car's outer shell is made of highly conductive metal, closely resembling the conditions of a Faraday cage. Therefore, when a driver is operating the vehicle during a thunderstorm, even if the car is unfortunately struck by lightning, the electromagnetic environment inside the car remains largely unaffected, allowing people to stay safely inside. Conduction through wet tires: The lightning current can travel through rainwater along the car's surface to the axle position and quickly conduct the current to the ground via the wet tires. Thus, the interior of a car is an ideal place to avoid lightning when outdoors.