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Post by rmc on Nov 4, 2012 19:39:57 GMT
Posted by BigHitter6 on August 2, 2012, from DCI (Discovery Channel International) Mythbusters forums:
Ive seen the episode where you get wetter if you run in a rainstorm but if theres lightning, wouldnt you want to run? Because your feet arent on the ground as long and theres a smaller window to get electrocuted while your feet are touching a conductor.
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Post by memeengine on Nov 4, 2012 20:16:14 GMT
Given that the lightning is already travelling from the clouds down to the ground, possibly crossing several hundred meters of air to do so, I don't think that a extra few centimeters of air gap caused by lifting your feet would make all that much difference.
The real problem with testing this in a realistic manner is that we still don't fully understand the mechanism by which lightning forms it's path to ground.
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Post by c64 on Dec 10, 2012 17:47:03 GMT
If you are standing still with your feet together eliminates the "step voltage" you can pick up from a nearby strike.
If you walk or run, you can pick up a "step voltage" some of the time.
As an electronics engineer, I stick with the odds of "zero chance" of a hit by standing with my feet close together. Much better, crouching with my feet together to avoid being the tallest object in the area avoiding a direct hit.
If you find a way to run or walk crouched with your feet closed together, please tell us how to do that since this would be the ultimate form of lightning safety!
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Post by GTCGreg on Dec 10, 2012 17:53:57 GMT
If you're heading for lightning safe cover, then by all means run. The less time you are exposed to a possible lighting strike, the better.
If you happen to pass C64 crouching down in the rain, tell him I said "HI"
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Post by c64 on Dec 10, 2012 18:12:34 GMT
If you are "in the open", then you run until you find a suitable area to crouch and keep your feet together.
I've seen my share of people laying unconscious on the ground because they decided to walk/run to their cars for shelter.
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Post by silverdragon on Dec 20, 2012 9:50:29 GMT
Is it?... not being pedantic, but I seen evidence it goes up not down.... and even sideways sometimes....
In answer to the question, I just make sure I aint the tallest object on the scenery.
Lightning likes the path of least resistance, so I would go stand near (NOT touching) something BIG and METAL..... or get in the Cab/Wagon and hope its a Faraday cage thing....
Dont forget to wave to the Hinterman?....
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Post by c64 on Dec 20, 2012 10:02:01 GMT
Lightning likes the path of least resistance, so I would go stand near (NOT touching) something BIG and METAL..... or get in the Cab/Wagon and hope its a Faraday cage thing.... And what makes you think that? Why should lightning behave absolutely different than "ordinary" electricity and has its own set of physic laws? Get a lamp with two sockets and insert a 100W Bulb (lower resistance) and a 40W bulb (higher resistance) and watch the electricity decide which bulb it would like. If your statement would be correct, the power grids are a busted myth! |
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Post by c64 on Dec 20, 2012 10:15:52 GMT
And here's the direction:
The ion chanel network grows from above towards the ground and when it touches something connected to the ground or the ground itself, the charge will race up into the clouds.
Rare positive lightnings are 8x stronger than common negative ones and the charge will usually race top to bottom.
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Post by silverdragon on Dec 23, 2012 8:35:42 GMT
[quote }the charge will race up into the clouds.
Which proves it goes UP?.... correct.
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Post by c64 on Dec 23, 2012 15:08:22 GMT
[quote }the charge will race up into the clouds. Which proves it goes UP?.... correct. |
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Post by the light works on Dec 23, 2012 16:26:21 GMT
just a thought, but are those thinking that running in a lightning storm (other things being equal) is safer than standing still, under the impression that God finds it difficult to hit a moving target?
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Post by silverdragon on Dec 27, 2012 7:41:12 GMT
Definition of Run, having all feet off the ground at the same time.... is that about right?... I think I saw that somewhere...
Elephants therefore do not Run... they walk very fast, but they do not run.
Having all feet off the ground, is this where this myth comes from, is it suspecting that whilst in mid air you cant be hit by lightning?....
I git news for them if thats the case, there have been a "few" reports of Aircraft getting lightning strikes?............
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Post by GTCGreg on Dec 27, 2012 16:06:23 GMT
Definition of Run, having all feet off the ground at the same time.... is that about right?... I think you could say the same for jumping off a cliff. Problem is it's hard to maintain that position for any length of time. |
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Post by the light works on Dec 27, 2012 16:56:15 GMT
Definition of Run, having all feet off the ground at the same time.... is that about right?... I think you could say the same for jumping off a cliff. Problem is it's hard to maintain that position for any length of time. I think there is some context involved, there... otherwise you also haven't eliminated standing on your head. |
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