Question

Why is safer to be in the car than standing under a tree during lightning?

Answer 1

Hint:We will use the principles of Faraday cage and the path the electricity follows for answering this question.

Complete Step by Step Answer:
The electricity always follows the path which has lesser resistance. As such, metals are very good conductors of electricity meaning that they offer very less resistance for the electricity and it is very easy for electricity to pass through the metals. During lightning, electricity passes from the clouds through the air to finally reach the Earth. It is during its travel; it follows the path with least resistance. Human body is a good conductor of electricity, so electricity can easily pass through humans to reach the earth.
If a human is standing under a tree, there is nothing preventing electricity from entering the human body. But as the car is made up of metal, it can act as a metal cage termed as a Faraday cage. Michael Faraday has proved that a metal cage can protect the things inside it from electricity by offering electricity a path with lesser resistance through the surface to the ground. As the cage is made of metals, they offer less resistance than the human body, so there is no need for electricity to enter the human body. Therefore, it is safer to stay inside the car as it acts as a Faraday cage.

Note:Make sure that you will not be misled by the tires thinking that they will act as insulators leading yourselves towards a wrong answer.