Comment on Would a metal gazebo be safe during a lightning storm?
Diddlydee@feddit.uk 4 weeks agoThat’s essentially a wearable Faraday cage. The metal suit acts as a highly conductive shield. It forces the electrical current to safely travel around the outside of the body rather than through it.
Dookieman12@piefed.social 4 weeks ago
So, the electrical current is forced to travel around the outside of the body because it’s attracted to metal?
Diddlydee@feddit.uk 4 weeks ago
It is not attracted to metal. Metal provides excellent condition for the current to travel across the suit rather than the body. There is no magical attraction force.
SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 4 weeks ago
same reason why lightning rods are copper or aluminum -it’s to conduct the energy to ground better.
Dookieman12@piefed.social 4 weeks ago
You can keep describing it in different, more technical terms if you want, all you’re doing is making yourself more correct, not making me less correct.
Of course you and I know “attract” isn’t the correct technical term, but that’s the term OP used and there’s nothing wrong with adjusting your message to communicate the same idea using words your audience will understand.
A lay person thinking “electricity is attracted to metal” still holds an accurate mental model of what can be expected. OP wanted to know if their mental model was correct, not whether they used the correct terminology to describe it.
Diddlydee@feddit.uk 4 weeks ago
‘Obviously it would attract lightning’ was and is incorrect. I pointed that out and explained what actually happens. I am also a lay person. I was just explaining what I know in response, and clarifying with replies.