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Lightning strikes the ocean
Ok, I have a question that has been bothering me for a while.
If something like this happens, which it probably does on a regular basis:
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Does everything in the area get electrocuted because it's conducted by water? And if so, if you're close enough, in a boat made out of steel or something that conducts electricity, would you get electrocuted? And how far away would you have to be to not get electrocuted and why? I'm not the best at physics, but I'm imagine electricity has something similar to a half-life?
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Lightning doesn't usually strike on water, it's too flat. When it does, everything in the immediate vicinity gets shocked, but the water is so dense that it is dispersed quickly. It is unknown exactly how far it travels(there's not way to test it, you can't predict where lightning will go).
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I am not an expert, but no i do not think that everything in the immediate water gets electrocuted. Water is not really that great of a conductor, so the shock (i think) would be "blunted". i also believe that the electricity would disperse rapidly, and that a fish 20 yards away might just feel a little twinge.
so yes, i do think that lightning only has a severe impact on things it stikes and things very close to what it strikes. (this is different from half-life by the way, half-life is used for dating artifacts)
as for being in a boat, the only reason the lightning struck the water, is because there was nothing closer (higher up) to discharge on...like a boat.
baaad idea to be in a boat on the water in a storm.
-L
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hey, well im not the best at it either but i think i have a good enough idea to answer your question. well yes water does attract electricity. i dont think that everything under the water gets electrocuted. i think just the tall things that stand out and are on top of the water would. example: people in the water or a boat. so yes your boat could very well get striked. dont stand around things where your the tallest thing because lightning strikes the tallest things it can find. but also dont stand near tall things that can fall on you like trees.
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