Final answer:
To be safe in the event of a lightning strike, it is best to be inside a building framed with steel, as it acts as a Faraday cage, grounding the electrical charge and protecting the interior. Wood does not provide the same level of protection because it is an insulator. Safe structures during a thunderstorm and devices like lightning rods are related to this principle of electrical safety.
Step-by-step explanation:
The safety in lightning strikes is often dependent on the materials used in building construction. In the case of a lightning strike, it is safer to be inside a building framed with steel rather than wood because steel acts very similar to a Faraday cage. This means that steel can conduct electricity and disperse the energy from a lightning strike around the exterior of the structure, grounding it and leaving the interior unaffected.
A wood-framed building does not provide the same level of protection because wood is an insulator and does not conduct electricity well. However, it is still more dangerous to be outside than inside any building during a thunderstorm. Related to this topic, the effectiveness of car safety during a storm is attributed to the metal body of the car acting as a Faraday cage, preventing the electrical field from a strike to affect the inside provided you stay totally inside.
Additionally, lightning rods are used on buildings to protect them by providing a direct path for the lightning to ground, particularly when they are pointed and well-grounded.