question_answer

Early people thought that the God's was responsible for thunderbolts and that lightning stones, the super heads of lightning bolts, could be found buried, where lightning had struck. These stones were believed to give protection from illness and evil. But now we understand that cloud polarisation induces a charge on the Earth's surface. When the electric field becomes large enough, an electric discharge results, which we call car lightning.

(i) What values do we learn from above discussion?

(ii) An old saying suggests that it is safer to run faster than walk during an overhead lightning storm, and it has been observed that catties are more likely to be killed by a nearby lightning strike than humans. Comment.

Answer:

(i) We should have to keep our minds open to be receptive and not to be superstitious.

(ii) In a case, when you are running, then you are likely to have only one foot at a time in contact with the ground, making it less likely to form a fatal potential difference with your feet. Further the dimensions of the human make it less likely that they will bridge a fatal potential difference in comparison with the cattle.