Monday 5 March 2012

Do fish get electrocuted on rainy days?

One of my tutees asked me an interesting question. Do fish get electrocuted?


Teacher Serena's explanation:

The ocean is a salt solution which consists of a lot of salt ions and this makes it a good electrical conductor. When lightning strikes, anything sticking above the surface like a swimmer or a boat is likely to be struck by it.

Why are fish not electrocuted? When lightning strikes, the current shoots along the surface in all directions but does not go very deep. Hence only fish that are swimming near the surface will be electrocuted. The fish that are swimming deeper in the sea are spared.


~ Serena's Greenhouse



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