Question

Suppose that you are in a cave deep within the earth. Are you safe from thunder and lightning? Justify your answer.

Answer 1

Conductors show the phenomena of electrostatic shielding and the Earth is a good conductor of electricity. In electrostatic shielding, the electrostatic field inside a cavity in a conductor is always zero irrespective of the charge and field configurations outside. So, the cavity is electrostatically shielded. Hence, a person will be safe in a cave deep within the Earth from the electrical storms.