Why Does My Phone Screen Light Up When It Rains?

Your phone screen is covered in a special invisible grid of electricity. Your finger acts like a tiny magnet that pulls this electricity down when you touch it.

Water is also good at holding electricity. When rain falls, each drop becomes a little temporary hand. If the water touches the right part of the screen, your phone gets confused and thinks you are touching it!

Glass usually blocks electricity like an insulator. But because the capacitive layer is so close to the surface, water can bridge the gap. It lets the electrical signal pass through just enough for the screen to react.

This is why your phone might open a map app when it drizzles.