2006-07-06 05:53:01 · 14 answers · asked by nysledhed 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather
Nothing. in particular, it's perfectly safe for the passengers (Faraday's Cage principle). Well, some electronic parts might suffer, not sure.
2006-07-06 05:56:17 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nothing severe happens. your car, actually, is the best place to be in the event of a thunder storm. Any vehicle has four 'rubber' tires. You would be very safe because your vehicle is grounded. The only signifinct thing that might actually happen is that your car might not start after being struck due to the high voltage of the lightning bolt. In affect to the incident the lightning may fry some of your components and damadge your battery. But you would be safer than a hair in a rabbit hole. Just DON'T TOUCH ANY THING STEEL IN YOUR VEHICLE! Actually just keep your hands on your self. You'll be even safer that way.
2006-07-06 06:38:42 · answer #2 · answered by nostridomius 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The tires really don't do much, were talking about thousands of volts. That little bit of rubber doesn't do anything. The fact is cars are mainly metal, metal is a good conductor. Electricity is follows the path to ground, on top of that it takes to path of least resistance. The metal body of a car provides a quick path to ground, far better than the human body would. So the lightning follows the outside body of the car and grounds leaving the people inside very safe.
2006-07-08 12:51:16 · answer #3 · answered by amish_renegade 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It screams.
There are several things that *can* happen, but nothing is guaranteed to happen.
1. Your entire electrical system can be destroyed.
2. It can catch fire.
3. It can burn the paint.
4. It can do nothing worth talking about other than the fact your car was just struck by lightning.
Cars are actually pretty safe places to be if you had to be struck by lightning.
2006-07-06 05:57:10 · answer #4 · answered by J G 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lightning is very strange, and complicated. It could choose to enter the car through the antenna. I would not want my hand on the radio when it hit the antenna, because the current might travel through my body.
Lightning goes up from the ground as well as down from the sky, despite what it looks like to the eye. That's because the charge built up in a cloud causes an opposite (induced) charge to build up on the ground below it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning
2006-07-06 23:44:16 · answer #5 · answered by Luis 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A car is actually very safe for people to be in during a thunderstorm. It's well insulated against electricity. However the electrical charge given off by lightning can actually damage a car's electrical system.
2006-07-09 09:09:43 · answer #6 · answered by Garfield 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because rubber in negativly charged, it absorbs the positivlty charged bolt and stops the charges from spreading. it 'absorbs' it so to say. so if you were in your car during a lightning storm sit still and dont touch any metal parts. Even though the chances of an electrical current escaping the rubber in your tires is slim, it is still possible. with good quality, proply inflated tires, lightning will nit harm your Car at all.!
2006-07-06 09:12:21 · answer #7 · answered by That Girl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
nothing happens for those person in side the car, because there will be no electric field experiencing inside a closed shell like car..i think car is the safest place while lightning rather than indoors
2006-07-06 05:58:59 · answer #8 · answered by kuttan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on where the lightning strikes. If it strikes the car itself nothing happens, meaning the outside of the car. If it strikes through the glass the person inside it can become harm.If it strikes the gas tank it may blow up or catch fire.
2006-07-06 06:32:17 · answer #9 · answered by mindofachild7 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It blows up!! I thought the rubber on the tires deflect lightning? Whatever, this is getting too complicated.
2006-07-06 05:56:33 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋