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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 December 13, 2016