Naked Science Forum
General Science => General Science => Topic started by: Just thinking on 05/07/2021 15:01:27
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Shoes or no shoes in lightning. I believe that if one was caught in a thunderstorm it would be safer to remove your shoes as a direct hit to the body would pass through the feet and go to the ground with less injury to the body. this would be only beneficial for a direct hit whereas if the lightning struck the ground close by won would experience the current from the ground up but with less intensity than the direct hit. With shoes on, however, there would be a different story as a direct hit can be very devastating to the victim as the feet can be blown off due to the insulation of the shoes however the person would fair better if the strike was to hit the ground as they would be insulated from the ground current. So shoes or no shoes, what do you think?
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what do you think?
I think you should learn some science but, in this case, what you need is common sense.
In a lightning strike the spark has already passed through a few miles of air.
Half an inch of plastic or leather isn't going to make much difference, especially if it gets vapourised.
the feet can be blown off due to the insulation of the shoes
Why
It's possible that if you are near a strike, your shoes will help protect you from the effects of the voltage drop across the resistance of the ground.
However, fundamentally, the best thing to have is running shoes- make for the low ground or suitable shelter as fast as you can.
More fundamentally still...
https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-crouch
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Why
With bear feet the current can flow to the ground with shoes on the current will ark from the lower legs and ankles doing great damage in the process.
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Why
With bear feet the current can flow to the ground with shoes on the current will ark from the lower legs and ankles doing great damage in the process.
LOL
At that voltage it will punch straight through the soles.
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At that voltage it will punch straight through the soles.
No, it will take the path of least resistance and come out of your ankles.
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the path of least resistance
is a myth.
https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/resistor/res_4.html
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the path of least resistance
is a myth.
I think Tessler fond that it is a fact and he is the bee's knees on electricity. He was a bright spark.
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the path of least resistance
is a myth.
I think Tessler fond that it is a fact and he is the bee's knees on electricity. He was a bright spark.
It would be one of several things he was wrong about.
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I think Tessler fond that it is a fact and he is the bee's knees on electricity. He was a bright spark.
It would be one of several things he was wrong about.
I think he was pretty smart but I do think he should get out of the car market.
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Golf shoes with nice ground penetrating metal spikes. I don't think it matters, keep it away from your heart and brain with a rubber hat, not a tinfoil one. But lightning is not normal electrical calculations due to the fact that bridging a gap of 5km to 200km through air means the resistance is too great. Lightning tunnels with plasma.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_arc
Soil with water is not particularly a great conductor, but enough of it conducts well enough, but a bolt of lightning is actually only about an inch wide, and an inch of soil is not a good conductor, so the lightning needs an entry point to diffuse into the earth. Pressure on soil will make it more compact and the water soil mix more cohesive, this will lower contact resistance meaning the human is making a lovely point of contact for the discharge. Trees and earth rods similarly go deep into compact soil.
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But lightning is not normal electrical calculations due to the fact that bridging a gap of 5km to 200km through air means the resistance is too great. Lightning tunnels with plasma.
Lightning is a very strange phenomenon not yet fully understood but your explanation goes a long way to describing it well.