The correct answer is C.
By far the safest place to be during an electrical storm is in a house or building. The metal plumbing and wiring in the walls of the building form a protective barrier. It is important to remember not to be touching that metallic cage, i.e stay away from electrical appliances, plumbing fixtures, etc.

2. Using a telephone during a lightning storm is dangerous.
The correct answer is True.
Lightning can strike telephone and electrical wires and travel into your house, through your phone cord, into your telephone, to the handset, and SHOCK you! Cordless phones are not dangerous because there is no physical connection to the wires. It is, however, rude to use your cordless phone during an electrical storm to call your neighbor who does not have a cordless phone.

3. A car is a safe place to be in an electrical storm because it has rubber tires.
The correct answer is False.
While cars are a very safe place to be, it is not the tires that protect you! This is a very common misconception. It is actually the metal that is surrounding you that affords the protection. This is due to something called the Skin Effect which says that electricity, like lightning, will travel only on the surface of enclosed metal objects. So while your car may be hit by lightning, as long as you stay inside, you are safe. This is of course provided that you have a metal car that is not a convertible. Incidently, your tires would have to be about a mile thick and made of solid rubber to afford you adequate protection.

4. The average number of people who die in the United States each year from being struck by lightning is about how many?
The correct answer is B.
About 80 people die each year in the United States as the result of being struck by a lightning bolt.

5. The greatest number of people who die from being struck by lightning are who?
The correct answer is C.
According to a study by Dr. Martin A Uman, in his 1971 book, "Understanding Lightning," 29 percent of those killed were farmers. This compares to 19 percent being golfers, and nearly 15 percent were fisherman. Men are struck by lightning 4 times more often than women.Florida has twice as many lightning causalities (deaths and injuries combined) as any other state. Indiana is ranked #12.

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Lightning's heat exceeds 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit or five times hotter than the surface of the sun. Its speed is 90,000 miles per second (one hundred million feet per second). The averagethickness of a bolt is 1-2 inches.- Thunder is always associated with lightning. - Nine out of ten people struck by lightning survive the event.- What's good about lightning? It produces a lot of the nitrogen compounds that are important for plant growth.- The average lightning strike contains 20,000 amps. An arc welder uses 250-400 amps to weld steel. - Beware of sheltering under tall trees during a storm. (Trees contain some 20% moisture content. We humans have 65% moisture content.) Lightning coming down a tree wants to follow the path of least resistance --Get to an all-metal vehicle, like a car or a truck, if you can.



Source: US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA's National Weather Service (lightning safety.noaa.gov)