Question

Many people have been sitting in a car when it was struck by lightning. Why were they able to survive such an experience?

Short answer

Answer: People are able to survive when their car is struck by lightning because the car's metal body acts as a Faraday cage, protecting the occupants from the direct effects of the electric field created by the lightning strike. The electric charges from the lightning travel through the car's metal body and are discharged into the ground, preventing harm to the passengers inside.

Step-by-step solution

Explain electric fields and conductors

An electric field is a region around a charged particle where an electric force is exerted on other charged objects. Conductors, like metals, allow electric charges to flow through them easily. When lightning strikes a conductor, the electric charges in the conductor rearrange themselves to cancel out the electric field inside the conductor.

Describe a car's metal body as a conductor

The metal body of a car can act as a conductor for electrical charges. When a car is struck by lightning, the metal body becomes charged and can conduct the electric current from the lightning.

Introduce the concept of a Faraday Cage

A Faraday cage is an enclosure made of a conducting material that protects the objects inside from external electric fields. In this case, the metal body of a car acts as a Faraday cage, protecting the occupants from the electric field created by the lightning strike.

Explain how the Faraday Cage effect works in a car

When a car is struck by lightning, the lightning's electric field induces a current in the metal body of the car, which then travels around the passengers inside and is discharged into the ground through the car's tires. Since the electric field cancels out within the conductor, the people inside the car are protected from the direct effects of the lightning strike.

Summarize and conclude the explanation

In summary, people are able to survive when their car is struck by lightning because the car's metal body acts as a Faraday cage, protecting the occupants from the direct effects of the electric field created by the lightning strike. The electric charges from the lightning travel through the car's metal body and are discharged into the ground, keeping the passengers inside safe during the event.