Why are lightnings more prone to striking trees?

Question

Why are lightnings more prone to striking trees?

Answer 1

they stick up in the air, where the lightning is.  

Answer 2

Electricity takes the path of least resistance. In other words, it follows the most conductive route to its destination. In the case of lightning, the destination is the ground. Lightning is attracted to trees, weather vanes, and many other high objects because they are more conductive than the surrounding air.

Answer 3

  lightning is more likely to strike a tree than the ground because its higher up and offers less resistance than air, especially if its wet, and electricity always takes the path of least resistance  

Answer 4

Electricity chooses the path of least resistance.  If you think of the earth as one big grounding source then a high standing tree would be the closest point of contact to the clouds for the lightning bolt to discharge.  If you were standing in a flat field, you would be the highest point and closest point for discharge.  That's why golfers often get it.  

Answer 5

Trees are frequent conductors of lightning to the ground. Since sap is a poor conductor, its electrical resistance causes it to be heated explosively into steam, which blows off the bark outside the lightning's path. In following seasons trees overgrow the damaged area and may cover it completely, leaving only a vertical scar. If the damage is severe, the tree may not be able to recover, and decay sets in, eventually killing the tree. It is commonly thought that a tree standing alone is more frequently struck, though in some forested areas, lightning scars can be seen on almost every tree.



A eucalyptus tree that was struck by lightning but 2 pine trees next to the tree are untouched, Darwin, Northern TerritoryThe two most frequently struck tree types are the oak and the elm.[66] Pine trees are also quite often hit by lightning. Unlike the oak, which has a relatively shallow root structure, pine trees have a deep central root system that goes down into the water table.[67] Pine trees usually stand taller than other species, which also makes them a likely target. Factors which lead to its being targeted are a high resin content, loftiness, and its needles which lend themselves to a high electrical discharge during a thunderstorm.

Trees are natural lightning conductors, and are known to provide protection against lightning damages to the nearby buildings. Tall trees with high biomass for the root system provide good lightning protection. An example is the teak tree (Tectona grandis), which grows to a height of 45 metres (147.6 ft). It has a spread root system with a spread of 5 m and a biomass of 4 times that of the trunk; its penetration into the soil is 1.25 metres (4.10 ft) and has no tap root. When planted near a building, its height helps in catching the oncoming lightning leader, and the high biomass of the root system helps in dissipation of the lightning charges.

Lightning currents have a very fast risetime, on the order of 40 kA per microsecond. Hence, conductors of such currents exhibit marked skin effect, causing most of the currents to flow through the conductor skin.  The effective resistance of the conductor is consequently very high and therefore, the conductor skin gets heated up much more than the conductor core. When a tree acts as a natural lightning conductor, due to skin effect most of the lightning currents flow through the skin of the tree and the sap wood. As a result, the skin gets burnt and may even peel off. The moisture in the skin and the sap wood evaporates instantaneously and may get split. If the tree struck by lightning is a teak tree (single stemmed with branches) it may not be completely destroyed since only the tree skin and a branch may be affected; the major parts of the tree may be saved from complete destruction due to lightning currents. But if the tree involved is a coconut tree it may be completely destroyed by the lightning currents.

Answer 6

because lighting hits anywhere in the ground because the ground has magnetic filed that lets the lighting hits the ground

Answer 7

it stricks the highest object and usualy in the area where there's a lightning storm its useualy rural

Answer 8

because its high in the sky