Assume you are under a thunderstorm that has lots of cloud-to-ground lightning,

Question

Assume you are under a thunderstorm that has lots of cloud-to-ground lightning, and that you are standing outside.

Fill blanks with either [highly, moderately, slightly, or not].

You are in an OPEN FIELD WITH NO TREES.

In terms of increasing your risk of a direct strike, being the tallest point within a 3 m radius is [] significant,

holding an umbrella or swinging a golf club is [ ] significant,

the orientation of your feet is [ ] significant,

and the distance between you and the nearest pond, stream or ocean is [ ] significant.

Explanation / Answer

highly (being at near the distance to the tallest point of a tree is a high-risk factor to the thunder strike)

moderately (holding an umbrella or swinging a golf club is also a 15% to 20% risk factor)

or not (holding an umbrella or swinging a golf club is not a risk factor)

slightly (the distance between you and the nearest pond, stream or ocean should be more)

Well, standing under a tree in a thunderstorm is probably the action you mention that has the biggest problem. Trees are often the tallest objects around and contain many pointy tips. The electric field is strongest near the pointed tip of an electrical conductor, and so trees often make for great targets for lightning strikes. Trees don't always conduct electricity as well as you do since people are made mostly out of saltwater. The current from a lightning strike may leave the tree and jump over to you and follow your body on its way to the ground.

Standing out in a field far from trees may also pose risks too. In this case, you are the tallest object around and may be a target for lightning strikes. If you are carrying metal golf clubs at the time, it could raise your risk (this is a common reason people are standing out in flat fields during thunderstorms, is to carry golf clubs. Sometimes such people get struck by lightning). The safest place to be during a thunderstorm is a building or a car. Electricity can flow through the metal sides of a car and not through you.

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