If lightning hits water, do all the fish die from electrocution??

Question

Please explain why it does or doesn't.
Thanks

Answer 1

Electricity needs a "ground" in order to flow at maximum capacity. Otherwise, it simply dissipates in all directions and gets converted to heat.

When you stand on the ground and get hit by lightning, the lightning bolt travels through your body because it is more conductive than the surrounding air. If you are touching a metal object, it will pass through you to that object. Otherwise, it will pass through you to the ground, which is generally not a good conductor of electricity. When it reaches the ground, the electricity is converted to heat and fries you.

A fish swimming in salt water will be less electrically conductive than the surrounding water. Therefore, very little electricity will flow through the fish's body. Instead, it will pass around the fish, though the fish may boil from hot water if it is too close to the lightning strike.

Salt-water is not nearly as good an electrical

Answer 2

First, it's unlikely that a lightning hits a pound or lake because clean water is a bad electricity conductor. Salty water is a better conductor but still a bad conductor compared with flesh. The electric current always takes the easiest path, i.e. the path with best conductivity - this is the reason way fish will electrocute.
How much shock a fish take depends on distance to impact point (farther - the less), his size (bigger - the greater shock), scaled or not... in salty water the fish might be affected badly...
The electrical discharge of a lightning strike is so fast and gets neutralised so rapidly(within fraction of a second) at the surface of the water that electrocution of the fishes do not occur. The heat formed may affect the fish if it is near the surface and at the exact wrong place .
The main problem is the production of rapid heating which may cause the surrounding water to boil quickly but this is cooled down very rapidly.
Lighting does hit the water not just the ground. The electrons are looking for their happy place and that is were they can spread out. In simple terms anyway. The fish close to the strike will get cooked but the current will dissipate very quickly. If you put a hair dryer in a pool and you were in the pool you would not be killed as opposed to doing the same in a bath tube were you would be.
Electricity needs a "ground" in order to flow at maximum capacity. Otherwise, it simply dissipates in all directions and gets converted to heat.

When you stand on the ground and get hit by lightning, the lightning bolt travels through your body because it is more conductive than the surrounding air. If you are touching a metal object, it will pass through you to that object. Otherwise, it will pass through you to the ground, which is generally not a good conductor of electricity. When it reaches the ground, the electricity is converted to heat and fries you.

A fish swimming in salt water will be less electrically conductive than the surrounding water. Therefore, very little electricity will flow through the fish's body. Instead, it will pass around the fish, though the fish may boil from hot water if it is too close to the lightning strike.

Salt-water is not nearly as good an electrical

Answer 3

The electrical discharge of a lightning strike is so fast and gets neutralised so rapidly(within fraction of a second) at the surface of the water that electrocution of the fishes do not occur. The heat formed may affect the fish if it is near the surface and at the exact wrong place .
The main problem is the production of rapid heating which may cause the surrounding water to boil quickly but this is cooled down very rapidly.

Answer 4

not all fish, just those in that pound :)

First, it's unlikely that a lightning hits a pound or lake because clean water is a bad electricity conductor. Salty water is a better conductor but still a bad conductor compared with flesh. The electric current always takes the easiest path, i.e. the path with best conductivity - this is the reason way fish will electrocute.
How much shock a fish take depends on distance to impact point (farther - the less), his size (bigger - the greater shock), scaled or not...

Answer 5

Lighting does hit the water not just the ground. The electrons are looking for their happy place and that is were they can spread out. In simple terms anyway. The fish close to the strike will get cooked but the current will dissipate very quickly. If you put a hair dryer in a pool and you were in the pool you would not be killed as opposed to doing the same in a bath tube were you would be.

Answer 6

No - dissipation of the charge would ordinarily go to earth by the most direct route; one would have to question the surface area impacted by the strike, but in any event a lightning strike on water, which is a poor conductor wouldn't go to earth. The charge would lost to the mass of water. As for fish being killed/boiled or fried - highly unlikely.

Answer 7

nicely, they do die in the event that they're close adequate to the lightning strike. often, to ensure that an organism to die through lightning, a adequate modern-day has to pass interior the path of the organism or the severe temperature from the lightning fries it. whilst lightning strikes a lake, the present right now disperses and hence the present at maximum areas isn't sufficiently massive to kill something. (different than for the area interior the on the spot region of the strike)

Answer 8

No because the lightning will diffuse rapidly. Think of it this way, why don't birds on a power line get electrocuted? Because they are not touching ground. It's kind of the same principle.

Answer 9

yes lightning does hit the water ...lol and no the fish dont die .
the electricity spreads too fast and wide to even give a slight shock.

Answer 10

No, if I recall, the lightning only strikes the top of the water, since fish are typically under the top of it, then no they won't die.