The speed of "A bolt of electricity"

[XitSign]

I was working on updating some profiles for the PAD verse and I noticed that there seems to have been a minor mistake with a statement. A character, Verche, has a feat of running at the speed of lightning, so they got MHS+ from it.

Except, the quote doesn't actually say that, I've just noticed. It says that Verche runs as fast as 'A bolt of electricity'.

In this context, how would we interpret a 'bolt'. What kind of speeds would that really be. Would a 'bolt' still be similar to lightning? Or would it just be comparable to regular electricity?

 

[Triumphs8512]

I dont know anything about the verse in question but this statement sounds a bit hyperbolic, but regardless if taken literally a bolt of lighting would just be a stream of lightning and thereby should still move at lightning speed.

 

[XitSign]

To clarify, Verche and the family of creatures associated with it use electricity as one of their main ways of attacking, and this quote in particular comes from the Z-City Rangers, who are a military/government agency who's entire role is the fight, capture, and research these creatures.

Verche really does have electrical related abilities, and the source of the quote are probably as reliable as reliable gets in the verse.

The problem is they don't say a 'bolt of lightning' they say a 'bolt of electricity'. I am unsure if that means the same thing.

 

[MonkeyOfLife]

Should be the same if not stated otherwise...

 

[MonkeyOfLife]

Tho if it says anything about Electromagnetic... Then it could be SpeedOfLight

 

[XitSign]

...You know, a quick google search could have solved this. I feel silly now realizing that 'bolt' is defined by lightning in every dictionary site I can find.

That's a touch humiliating, but at least I now know what you mean by them being the same. I had almost made it worse by asking why.

No mention of electromagnetism, just 'bolts' of electricity. I suppose the rating is fine as it is in that case. Thank you all so much, and I'm terribly sorry that I was misunderstanding this.

 

[MonkeyOfLife]

It's ok, Aye... It's a particle, no one actually knows how they work

Lightning and electricity isn't fully the same thing tho, and that's just me via instinct which can be more reliable than facts

 

[XitSign]

They aren't exactly the same thing, yeah, but considering the statement is meant to emphasize speed, other characters with electrical powers DO use natural lightning, and the fact that I now know the word 'bolt' is supposed to be used for lightning, I think we're probably good keeping these ratings base don lightning itself.

Honestly, the definition of 'bolt' is probably why they got the rating in the first place and we never clarified that on the profiles themselves...Oops...

 

[MonkeyOfLife]

I mean what else can bolt be used for?

 

[MonkeyOfLife]

Bolt Action Rifle

 

[XitSign]

Certainly, and a fastener 'bolt'

However, in a context where the bolt is compared to electricity, I don't think it's a stretch that we're not talking about the speed of someone reloading a gun like that.

 

[Qawsedf234]

There's no set speed of electricity. The electricity that moves in you're body is only 360 kph, electricity through open air can be mach 2 and if routed through correct wiring it can move at the speed of light. There's no set speed to be gotten.

The reason why its sometimes equated with lightning is because there's supplementary evidence that its comparable to lightning. Its never automatic.