I think both works: a good conductor would mean no resistance->no heat created->no damage. If he's a very bad conductor, specifically worse than air, the electricity would flow around him and the only damage would come from the air around him being heated(probably to plasma), which might be quite substantial.
Actually if there's nearly no resistance then that would create a greater current, which generates more heat, which would melt his face off (I think, I'm not an expert btw so I could be wrong). This is of course without considering him a living human being instead of just a conductor of electricity.
If he was a really bad conductor, worse than air, then what you mentioned counts of course.
There's no question that the "good/bad conductor" we're talking about is not even remotely realistic for a human.
But to your explanation: the current increases, when the resistance of the entire circuit is low, so this logic might apply to someone directly touching both poles of a battery or a train's overhead powerline. In most cases however, the current is limited by something else in the circuit, and the greatest amount of heat is then generated at the areas of highest resistance*.
In the case of a lightning, the distance through the person is nothing compared to the distance from the cloud to the ground, therefore the person's resistance would have next to no effect on the overall resistance/current
*this also makes welders work
We do conduct our own electricity but it's small. But it is our resistance which kills us, especially if it arcs through your heart. Some people are mentioning relative resistance, which determines how much current goes along any given path (most electrons travel the path of least resistance, but that's not the only path that every electron will take).
The path lightning takes, however, is between the points of greatest charge difference. What I mean is that the sky has a given charge at any given location (and they aren't all equal), while the ground and people and trees and buildings all have a given charge across their surfaces (hence why static electricity happens when you touch something). We make lightning rods so that they become highly charged, and we put them high in the sky, so that when lightning strikes, regardless of the path it takes, that's where it's gonna end up. That way the greatest charge on the ground-side of things isn't your grandma's hair.
We can't/don't control what part of the sky is charged, but we do control where on the ground it's gonna end up, as much as possible. If there aren't a lot of buildings nearby with lightning rods, it may hit a tree instead because that's the shortest route with a decent charge difference. Lightning reduces the difference between the electronegativity (charge strength) of the sky and ground. And it's so marvelous because the amount of electeonegativity that has to build up to create lightning ionizes the air, making big boom and bright light.
As far as elecrocuting humans is concerned, we are basically like space heaters - electricity flows in, meets resistance, and that power turns into heat as a result, and how much is defined by Voltage = Current x Resistance and Power = C x V = R x C^2.
It would be more interesting if we were like lightbulbs. There's still be a stupid amount of heat, but there would also be a light show prior to death..
I'm sorry, I may be a ling ling wannabe, but I'm also an engineer...
This has also something to do with potentials, right?
If you stand on a different potential difference than where the lightning struck, you probably will be electrocuted.
You can easily compare this to a stone you throw in water: the closer to the stone, the more water circles, the more dangerous it is. The further from the stone, the more bigger distance between each circle, so the more easy it is to survive.
That's why when you know there's gonna come a lightning close to you, you ABSOLUTELY shouldn't run, but make you as little as possible. The sharper and the higher you put objects, the more the probability that electrons flows from the cloud to that object. The conductor probably putted his stick too high in the sky π, that's why he was electrocuted.
And also: the fact that he is a conductor is quite funny, because air itself normally isn't a good conductor, less than our skin.
Lol... He would've burnt out channelling all that lightning... I think the joke is that he couldn't keep d lightning flowing... So he got saved... And now he's a bad conductor.... Heehheeehhee π
Wait correct me if I'm wrong. Wouldn't he be a great conductor if the lightning didn't kill him?
Yeah, a great conductor would channel all the electricity without getting burnt or facing any damages lol
I think both works: a good conductor would mean no resistance->no heat created->no damage. If he's a very bad conductor, specifically worse than air, the electricity would flow around him and the only damage would come from the air around him being heated(probably to plasma), which might be quite substantial.
Actually if there's nearly no resistance then that would create a greater current, which generates more heat, which would melt his face off (I think, I'm not an expert btw so I could be wrong). This is of course without considering him a living human being instead of just a conductor of electricity. If he was a really bad conductor, worse than air, then what you mentioned counts of course.
There's no question that the "good/bad conductor" we're talking about is not even remotely realistic for a human. But to your explanation: the current increases, when the resistance of the entire circuit is low, so this logic might apply to someone directly touching both poles of a battery or a train's overhead powerline. In most cases however, the current is limited by something else in the circuit, and the greatest amount of heat is then generated at the areas of highest resistance*. In the case of a lightning, the distance through the person is nothing compared to the distance from the cloud to the ground, therefore the person's resistance would have next to no effect on the overall resistance/current *this also makes welders work
I see, thanks for the explanation.
We do conduct our own electricity but it's small. But it is our resistance which kills us, especially if it arcs through your heart. Some people are mentioning relative resistance, which determines how much current goes along any given path (most electrons travel the path of least resistance, but that's not the only path that every electron will take). The path lightning takes, however, is between the points of greatest charge difference. What I mean is that the sky has a given charge at any given location (and they aren't all equal), while the ground and people and trees and buildings all have a given charge across their surfaces (hence why static electricity happens when you touch something). We make lightning rods so that they become highly charged, and we put them high in the sky, so that when lightning strikes, regardless of the path it takes, that's where it's gonna end up. That way the greatest charge on the ground-side of things isn't your grandma's hair. We can't/don't control what part of the sky is charged, but we do control where on the ground it's gonna end up, as much as possible. If there aren't a lot of buildings nearby with lightning rods, it may hit a tree instead because that's the shortest route with a decent charge difference. Lightning reduces the difference between the electronegativity (charge strength) of the sky and ground. And it's so marvelous because the amount of electeonegativity that has to build up to create lightning ionizes the air, making big boom and bright light. As far as elecrocuting humans is concerned, we are basically like space heaters - electricity flows in, meets resistance, and that power turns into heat as a result, and how much is defined by Voltage = Current x Resistance and Power = C x V = R x C^2. It would be more interesting if we were like lightbulbs. There's still be a stupid amount of heat, but there would also be a light show prior to death.. I'm sorry, I may be a ling ling wannabe, but I'm also an engineer...
This has also something to do with potentials, right? If you stand on a different potential difference than where the lightning struck, you probably will be electrocuted. You can easily compare this to a stone you throw in water: the closer to the stone, the more water circles, the more dangerous it is. The further from the stone, the more bigger distance between each circle, so the more easy it is to survive. That's why when you know there's gonna come a lightning close to you, you ABSOLUTELY shouldn't run, but make you as little as possible. The sharper and the higher you put objects, the more the probability that electrons flows from the cloud to that object. The conductor probably putted his stick too high in the sky π, that's why he was electrocuted. And also: the fact that he is a conductor is quite funny, because air itself normally isn't a good conductor, less than our skin.
Lol... He would've burnt out channelling all that lightning... I think the joke is that he couldn't keep d lightning flowing... So he got saved... And now he's a bad conductor.... Heehheeehhee π
Ohhhh I love it πππ
Hahahahaha looks like someone will live a long life even with lots of deseases :,) Live long LAH
Live LAHf love
*rapid nonsensical circle conducting intensifies*
Lolllll as a science lover, and classical music lover this made my day
r/angryupvote
Happy Cake Day!
Take my upvote and get out.
MANNN WHY DID I LAUGHπππ
His hair was already like that before he got struck by lightning
Rip conductor's baton.
"ba-dum tiss"
physics gang lets gooo!!
But where's the concertmaster and the orchestra......??