• Question: Is there any specific place/area/point that lightning will hit

    Asked by Gandy to Caoimhe, Colin, David, Katie, Lisa on 14 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: David Taylor

      David Taylor answered on 14 Nov 2014:

      Not really. It’s best to keep away from big things like tall buildings and trees because they present a bigger target. But lighting strikes pretty much at random.

    • Photo: Katie Mahon

      Katie Mahon answered on 15 Nov 2014:

      Lightning can strike anywhere but it’s a form of electricty so it’s drawn towards the “path of least resistance”. This means it will try to find the easiest route. That’s why lightning is more likely to hit tall buildings, especially metal ones – because metal is more conductive. This means the lightning travels easier & faster through metal than other objects.

      If you look at a church steeple (the tall tower at the top of a church) it probably has a metal rod on it, called a lightning conductor. This attracts a possible lightning strike, so that it runs down the metal rod & into the ground, instead of hitting & damaging the bricks of the church steeple.

      Benjamin Franklin learned that lightning is static electricity by flying a kite in a storm in the 1700s (and was lucky not to get electrocuted!). Check out his story:
      http://www.fplsafetyworld.com/?ver=kkblue&utilid=fplforkids&id=16190

    • Photo: Colin Keogh

      Colin Keogh answered on 18 Nov 2014:

      Points higher up and/or metallic have a slightly higher chance of being hit as they would be the point of least resistance that Katie talked about.

    • Photo: Caoimhe O'Neill

      Caoimhe O'Neill answered on 21 Nov 2014:

      Good answer @Katie

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