Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Lightning in the Lab

A 300,000-volt simulated lightning bolt produced in NIST’s high-voltage measurement laboratory in 1984.
Credit: NIST Digital Archives

A 300,000-volt simulated lightning bolt produced in NIST’s high-voltage measurement laboratory in 1984.  NIST helped utilities and manufacturers determine what would happen to their equipment if struck by lightning. 

Released December 7, 2016, Updated February 3, 2025
Was this page helpful?