ASK!

Kids ASK! about Science & Technology

Since water is a good conductor of electricity, wouldn’t the entire ocean gets electrically charged?

According to Don MacGorman, a physicist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma, lightning that hits the sea stays more on the surface of the water rather than penetrating it. As water is a good conductor, it keeps most of the current on the surface. Therefore, if the fish is underwater, it is generally safe. If it is close to the surface, it can also be killed.

Also, according to NASA, lightning avoids oceans.

Sources:
Zapping Fish
Where Lightning Strikes

Want to know more about lightning? Here are some recommended resources:

Books:

Thunder and lightning by Elizabeth Miles
Publisher : Oxford : Heinemann Library, 2005.
Call No. : J 551.5 MIL

Lightning : it’s electrifying by Jennifer Dussling
Publisher : New York : Grosset & Dunlap, c2002.
Call No. : J 551.56 DUS

Thunder and lightning by Casey Mayer
Publisher : Oxford : Heinemann Library, 2007
Call No. : JP 551.5 MAY

Thunderstorms and lightning by Dean Galiano
Publisher : New York : Rosen Pub. Group’s Rosen Central, 2003
Call No. : J 551.55 GAL

Thunderstorms by Patricia D. Netzley
Publisher : San Diego, Calif. : KidHaven Press, c2003
Call No. : J 551.55 NET

Website:
National Electrical Code Internet Connection

For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

All websites were last accessed on 9 September 2008. Please check the websites’ homepages for the terms and conditions of use. All images were extracted from www.amazon.com and www.bn.com.

Answered by Lian Mei Wan
Librarian
Children’s Services

Posted by Galvin Soh
Librarian
Children’s Services

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