What is it called when lightning passes through you and does not harm you?

Question

In example, I've seen birds sit electrical wires going from telephone pole to telephone pole.

Answer 1

The body is a poor conductor of electricity. Electricity will take the path of least resistance, so it would rather not pass through the body if a wire is available.

Birds sitting on a wire are not making contact with two wires at the same time - they are only on one wire. Their bodies are poor conductors so the electricity would rather go through the wire than the bird. If the bird were to touch two wires at the same time the bird would make a complete circuit between the two wires. In that case the electricity would flow through the bird to get to the new wire and the bird would be electrocuted.

When you are in a car that is struck by lightning the same sort of situation happens. The metal of the car conducts electricity better than your body so the electricity flows through the metal to the ground. If you were to be getting out of the car and had your foot on the ground when the lightning hit the car, the lightning would use your body to complete the circuit and would electrocute you. Cars are not insulated by the rubber tires as many falsely believe - they just conduct the electricity to the ground so it does not harm you.

Answer 2

I call it a stroke of luck! Electric current does not pass through the birds on a wire because the path (resistance) is much easier through the wire. If the bird ever completes a path to ground, it will be instantly roasted in a shower of sparks. Lightning follows the easiest path to ground too and if it strikes a person, it may follow the clothing rather than the flesh, but don't count on it.

Answer 3

im not quite sure if there is a term that you are looking for...but i did find some interesting facts:

• The odds of becoming a lightning victim in the U.S. in any one year is 1 in 700,000. The odds of being struck in your lifetime is 1 in 3,000.

• Lightning can kill people (3,696 deaths were recorded in the U.S. between 1959 and 2003) or cause cardiac arrest. Injuries range from severe burns and permanent brain damage to memory loss and personality change. About 10 percent of lightning-stroke victims are killed, and 70 percent suffer serious long-term effects. About 400 people survive lightning strokes in the U.S. each year.

also the reason you see birds unaffected by sitting on power wires is that they are not creating a bridge to ground (or a complete circuit)...if the bird were to say take flight and one wing touched the power wire and one wing touched a tree branch you might see a mid air B.B.Q

Answer 4

Dear if you have noted carefully, you will find that only legs/toes of the birds is touching electrical wires. No part of body is tocuching it. The reason is the birds toes does not have Blood and their fore they do not get electric currents. Sometimes in rains they also get electrocuted because strnght of electric current also flows to their wet parts of body. hopes it clarirfies

Answer 5

A miracle

Answer 6

A miracle!

Answer 7

LUCK