Final answer:
Lightning strikes can affect airplanes but due to the Faraday cage effect, the plane's occupants are generally protected. The metal body distributes the electrical charge on the exterior, with no electrical field reaching inside the cabin, focusing the impact on the plane's exterior rather than its occupants.
Step-by-step explanation:
Lightning strikes are powerful natural phenomena that occur when there is a large electrical charge difference between a cloud and the ground, initiating the discharge of a huge number of electrons. This relates to the concept of an electric current and its effects. The exterior of a plane acts like a Faraday cage, where the electrical charge is distributed across the metal body, ensuring that the interior of the plane experiences zero electrical field. As a result, passengers are usually protected from direct harm. Similar to a car, where the occupants remain unaffected inside the metal body if a lightning strike occurs nearby.
In the case of airplanes, the technology and design specifically incorporate this principle to prevent lightning from penetrating the cabin. Although a lightning strike can cause superficial damage to an aircraft, due to the Faraday cage effect, the safety of the occupants is largely maintained.