if lightning stikes the sea, why dont all the fish die, from electircal shock..............
2007-06-20 07:14:45 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather
Fish very near the location of the lightning strike could very well be killed. However, the electrical current drops off as 1/r^2, where r is the distance away from the location of the strike. As you travel away from the location (horizontally or vertically), the current rapidly falls close to zero.
2007-06-20 07:19:16 · answer #1 · answered by lithiumdeuteride 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because the charge is spread out over such a large distance that the fish absorb a very very low amount of charge....also fish are usually deeper than the level of water the lightning charge can reach before being absrobed by the water molecules
2007-06-20 07:22:14 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It' all to do with potential gradient. As the current spreads from the point of impact the voltage drop in the water reduces such that the voltage, say from head to tail, becomes too low to electrocute the fish. Cattle in fields also can be electrocuted because of the distance between their legs, whereas a human may survive due to a lesser spread between the legs.
Anyone fancy chips with their fish?
2007-06-20 07:23:23 · answer #3 · answered by fred 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The electricity is diffused in the water. The fish directly surrounding the strike zone would die but further out they will be fine.
Remeber if you unplug something that's in water, eventually the electricty will grow weak and weaker. A lightening bolt is a single strike not a ongoing source of electricity.
2007-06-20 07:17:52 · answer #4 · answered by chickey_soup 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
all the fish ? wow... that is a tall rder, some surely die or are stunned, the reason all of them do not die is as follows, while seawater is conductive (3.5% salinity) it is not that conductive, so the charge has a lot of resistance to overcome to travel long distance. There is also anoher problem the voltage decreases as a cube of the distance so it dissipates really, really fast.
2007-06-20 07:20:37 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
As sea water will conduct electricy, the electrical energy is dissipated across the surface of the huge volume of water ... It cannot energise the water to a degree sufficient to kill fish.
2007-06-20 10:04:33 · answer #6 · answered by Norrie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they swim below the current
2007-06-20 22:51:42 · answer #7 · answered by dream theatre 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it can't strike the sea.
2007-06-22 04:01:35 · answer #8 · answered by The Unknown Soldier 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because it goes straight to earth,
the sea is earthed/grounded..
2007-06-20 07:19:42 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
because they are wearing wellies and not playing golf X
2007-06-20 07:17:15 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋