Many people think that it is the rubber tires that protect them when their car is struck by lightning. In reality, their car is becoming a Faraday cage. What is that and how does it work?
Michael Faraday was a British scientist born in 1791. Although not formally educated, he had a strong interest in electromagnetism. He also credited with discovering Benzene and popularizingterms such as anode, cathode and electrode. As an apprentice for a bookbinder, he read many books which encouragedhis interest in science. He soon became a well known experimental scientist leading to his name becoming a unit of electrical charge. He is also known for inventing the Faraday rotator and Faraday cage.
A Faradaycage is a conductive metal container that blocks electric fields. When electricity is applied to the cage, it distributes the charge and therefore protects anything inside. There aremany applications that have benefited from this observation. For instance, a microwave is a type of Faraday cage. It, however,traps the waves inside to cook your food and protect those outside of it. If you have ever had an MRI done, then you have been inside a Faraday cage, also known as an RF Shield. In this case, the room is shielded so that outside radio frequencies don’t interfere with the images being taken and so that the ones being produced don’t interfere with outside machinery.
Another type of a Faraday cage is an airplane. Planes get struck by lightning more often than you think. When they are hit, the lightning spreads over the aluminum hull and protects the passengers inside.
Your car also essentially becomes a Faraday cage. The electrical charge will travel over the metal of your vehicle and protect you inside. Just make sure you have the windows closed or you will leave an opening for that charge to enter! You also don’t want to be touching any metal connected to the outside of the car while inside. If you check out the graphic below, you will notice how the current exits to the ground through the tires.So,the rubber tires on your cardo notprotect you from lightning, they simply ground your vehicle so that the electricity has a place to exit.
I'm a seasoned enthusiast with a deep understanding of electromagnetism, particularly the fascinating concept of Faraday cages. My knowledge spans the historical roots of this field, including the contributions of Michael Faraday, a British scientist born in 1791. Despite lacking formal education, Faraday's keen interest in electromagnetism led to groundbreaking discoveries and the popularization of terms like anode, cathode, and electrode.
Now, let's dive into the concepts discussed in the article you provided:
Faraday Cage:
A Faraday cage is a conductive metal container designed to block electric fields. When an electrical charge is applied to the cage, it evenly distributes the charge, providing protection to anything enclosed within it. The Faraday cage principle has found applications in various fields.
Applications of Faraday Cage:
Microwave Oven: Surprisingly, a microwave oven operates as a Faraday cage. It traps electromagnetic waves inside to cook food while safeguarding those outside from exposure.
MRI Room (RF Shield): During an MRI, patients are inside a Faraday cage, also known as an RF shield. The room is shielded to prevent external radio frequencies from interfering with the imaging process, and vice versa.
Airplane: Aircraft, including planes, function as Faraday cages. When struck by lightning, the electric charge disperses over the aluminum hull, ensuring the safety of passengers inside.
Car as a Faraday Cage: Your car also essentially becomes a Faraday cage during a lightning strike. The metal structure of the vehicle allows the electric charge to travel over it, protecting occupants inside. It's crucial to keep the windows closed during such incidents and avoid touching any external metal parts connected to the car.
Misconception About Rubber Tires:
Contrary to popular belief, it's not the rubber tires that protect you when your car is struck by lightning. Instead, the entire vehicle acts as a Faraday cage. The rubber tires play a role in grounding the vehicle, providing a path for the electric charge to exit safely. Ensuring that the windows are closed further enhances the protective effect.
In summary, the Faraday cage concept, pioneered by Michael Faraday, extends its influence to diverse applications, from household appliances like microwaves to critical medical equipment like MRI machines, and even the protective structure of airplanes and cars during lightning strikes.
True or false: Your car's rubber tires will protect you if lightning strikes your car. False! John Jensenius of the National Lightning Safety Council says it's the type of car – not the tires – that protect you from lightning. You're the safest in a hard-topped vehicle.
Myth: The rubber soles of shoes or rubber tires on a vehicle will protect you from lightning. Truth: Rubber soled shoes and rubber tires provide NO protection from lightning. The steel frame of a hard-topped vehicle provides increased protection if you are not touching metal.
— It's widely believed the rubber tires of a car will protect you from a lightning strike. That's a myth. It is the metal roof and shell of the vehicle that protects you, not the tires, the National Weather Service says. Upon hitting the car, the bolt travels through the metal frame and into the ground.
Copper and aluminum are two of the most common materials used in lightning protection systems. Copper is an excellent conductor of electricity and is widely utilized for lightning rods, down conductors, and grounding systems. Aluminum is also frequently used due to its conductivity and cost-effectiveness.
Rubber tires do act as an insulator but only at low voltages. For comparison, the current in your house is 120 volts and 15 amps, while a typical lightning bolt is about 300 million volts and about 30,000 amps. The voltage in a lightning bolt is too high to be stopped by tires.
If you're caught in a storm while driving, you are safest in an enclosed, metal vehicle. (This means hard-topped cars with all of the windows shut.) If your car is struck by lightning, the current will flow through the metal body of the vehicle to the ground.
Rubber is known to be an insulator because rubber can limit the transfer of electricity. The rubber properties prevent the electrons to be able to freely move and the addition of the electrons being tightly bounded makes rubber a good insulator .
Most indoor lightning casualties and some outdoor casualties are due to conduction. Whether inside or outside, anyone in contact with anything connected to metal wires, plumbing, or metal surfaces that extend outside is at risk.
Rubber materials feature excellent electrical insulation capabilities, making them useful for preventing the dangerous effects caused by electricity transferring to other objects. Rubber slows down electrons, making it the most natural and efficient insulator in the world.
A typical cloud-to-ground, actually cloud-to-vehicle, lightning strike will either strike the antenna of the vehicle or along the roofline. The lightning will then pass through the vehicle's outer metal shell, then through the tires to the ground.
The safest location during a thunderstorm is inside a large enclosed structure with plumbing and electrical wiring. These include shopping centers, schools, office buildings, and private residences.
South America. In South America, there are five hotspots with a higher lightning rate. These are distributed over Colombia and Venezuela. Lake Maracaibo is the region with the most lightning in the world, with 233 lightning strikes per km2 per year.
Electricity takes the path of least resistance, which is down the metal body of your car. Much like a lightning rod, a metal enclosure conducts an electric charge to the ground, leaving the inside shock-free. (That's referred to as a Faraday cage, for those seeking extra credit) [source: Skeldon].
They can arrange to have the vehicle examined for damages that may be hidden. While it may be a one-in-a-million chance to get struck by lightning while driving, taking the above precautions will help keep your mind on your driving, and protect you from lightning while out on the road. Drive Safely!
If your car is struck by lightning, comprehensive coverage can help you pay to repair or replace your vehicle. If you don't carry comprehensive coverage, you will have to pay for any damage out of pocket.
Introduction: My name is Tish Haag, I am a excited, delightful, curious, beautiful, agreeable, enchanting, fancy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
