Talk of The Villages Florida - View Single Post - LPS -- Lightning Protection Systems -- Disappointed with Statement of Work
View Single Post
 
Old 07-24-2024, 09:41 AM
dougawhite dougawhite is offline
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 366
Thanks: 278
Thanked 180 Times in 113 Posts
Default AC or DC?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Altavia View Post
Correct from a DC current perspective.

But is the current induced by lightening:

1. AC
2. DC
3. Both
4. Neither
Technically, lightning is DC, just electrons moving in one direction from source to ground. However, because lightning is an extremely short and powerful pulse of DC current, it creates a very strong electromagnetic field that contains a very broad spectrum of 'radio' waves. That's why you can hear lightning on an AM radio. So, that 'radio' energy doesn't just travel cleanly on a wire to ground, it surrounds the wire for some distance, and can impact nearby electronics.