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A comment on Lightning Strike Kills More Than 300 Reindeer in Norway. Parent comment

Re:Lightning Strike Kills More Than 300 Reindeer in Norway by jhayward on Tuesday August 30, 2016 @10:57AM (#12390708)
Not quite. It is the voltage potential caused by having your feet on two different pieces of ground, which have a voltage gradient between them, that causes the current to flow. If you keep your feet together you are less likely to be harmed.

The farther apart your feet are the greater the voltage between them. This is called "step potential" in electrician and lineman safety training.

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Re:Lightning Strike Kills More Than 300 Reindeer in Norway by madengr on Tuesday August 30, 2016 @06:50PM (#12394591)
Yes, but if are hopping on one foot, you have no opportunity to complete the circuit with both feet.
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Re:Lightning Strike Kills More Than 300 Reindeer in Norway by triplesec on Thursday September 08, 2016 @03:39PM (#12456556)
but if your feet are touching it's the same thing, because you've shorted the circuit. Also, any chance of arcing to the ungrounded leg?
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