Final answer:
Outdoor electrical systems must be grounded for safety, which makes the statement about post lanterns and lights needing no grounding false. Wood is generally an insulator, but in the case of lightning, the immense voltage allows it to travel through a tree to the ground, making that statement true. High-voltage transmission wires are held by insulating connectors but the wires themselves are generally not insulated; thus, that statement is false.
Step-by-step explanation:
True or false - Post lanterns and outdoor lights do not need to be grounded; the answer is false. Outdoor electrical systems, including post lanterns and lights, are required to be grounded. Grounding is an essential safety feature that prevents electrical shock, injury, or fire by providing a path for electrical current to flow into the earth in the event of a short circuit or lightning strike.
True or false - Although wood is an insulator, lightning can travel through a tree to reach Earth; this is true. Lightning is a powerful electrical discharge that can travel through conductive pathways, including trees. Despite wood being an insulator, the immense voltage of a lightning strike can overcome the electrical resistance of the wood, causing it to conduct electricity and channel it to the ground.
True or false - The high-voltage wires that you see connected to tall metal-frame towers are held aloft by insulating connectors, and these wires are wrapped in an insulating material; the answer is false. High-voltage transmission lines are typically not insulated. They are suspended in air by insulating connectors or insulators, which prevent the current from traveling down the towers to the ground, but the wires themselves are usually bare, relying on the air gap for insulation.