2006-07-26 00:02:05 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
lightning tries to go to ground (zero voltage) as quickly as possible, it will never choose a more resistive path. If the less resistive part is to first hit the airplane, then flow out of it and go to the ground, then it will hit it. The fact that its very improvable that its the less resistive path, is the reason why they don't get hit.
2006-07-26 00:08:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Planes get struck by lightning ALL THE TIME. You're teacher is flat out wrong. Furthermore, unlike what some on here have said, lightning does and has damaged aircraft considerably. While aircraft are designed with specifications to prevent damage from electrical strikes, the avionics are quite susceptible to lightning strikes and a loss of comms and navs is not uncommon after such a strike. Also, lightning has the unfortunate characteristic of superheating air within the proximity of the discharge with explosive force. This can cause severe structural damage to aircraft. Lightning can also cause punctures in aircraft wings and fuselages and can ignite any vaporized fuel that may be misting from a loose fuel cap or leaky tank.
All in all, your teacher is mistaken and lightning is a severe hazard to most aircraft and is avoided at all costs. That's why, along with turbulence and hail, aircraft RARELY fly in the proximity of thunderstorms.
2006-07-26 09:02:59 · answer #2 · answered by A Guy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Commercial and military planes get hit by lightning all the time. In a commercial aircraft, the damage is usually less noticeable since the energy of the lightning is dispersed over the fuselage of the plane cause most of a commercial aircraft is aluminum. Military fighter aircraft are usually damaged more since their composite materials are not conductive to the energy and all the energy gets concentrated at the strike location. All that focused energy can sometimes blow a hole clean through a wing or other control surface.
2006-07-26 18:56:58 · answer #3 · answered by quntmphys238 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
(Most) airplanes are made out of metal which conducts electricity fairly easily. All the instruments and other sensitive stuff is well insulated, so the lightning just goes straight through the airplane without doing anything interesting. I'm not even sure that you'd notice if you were in a plane when it was struck by lightning.
2006-07-26 07:33:36 · answer #4 · answered by tgypoi 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Planes can be struck by lightning!
But because they are not in contact with the ground (earthed in other words) the voltage travels through!
The metal outside of the plane is isolated from all internal components, including passengers, preventing any damage.
2006-07-26 08:45:12 · answer #5 · answered by wernisch 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they get struck all the time during a lighting storm, but the way they are built it just kinda bounces off without doing much, if any, damage to the plane
2006-07-26 07:14:59 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They do get struck my lightnining but they have structures inplace to deal with it. I cant quite remeber the details but try google.
2006-07-26 07:07:40 · answer #7 · answered by de5tiny06 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they do.only u dont feel it.moreover these days the planes r flying above the zone where lightning occurs
2006-07-26 07:37:46 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
they get hit by lighning. But it's safe inside because gauss' law says no charge inside a conductiong object
2006-07-26 07:15:51 · answer #9 · answered by te_mu_ge 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they do get struck, but I guess they're built in such a way that it doesn't cause (much) damage.
2006-07-26 07:05:06 · answer #10 · answered by MK6 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋