Why EMP pulse destroy electronics?

[Antiphon]

A gap is as good as a wire antenna or coupling. A car has so many gaps it might as well not have the hood on at all for EMP purposes.

As for how it blows up electronics, it's mostly overvoltage on semiconductor devices.

The EMP fields my devices are tested to are 50kV/meter. If you have any kind of antenna (deliberate or incidental) in a field like that, you need special circuits to protect the ICs inside. It's exactly the same damage mechanism as a carpet (static) shock only much larger in area.

Vacuum tube electronics are the most robust without special protection. I have a collection of around 150 triodes and pentodes "just in case."

 

[gorgon53]

50kV/meter? Will there be anyone left to care about what what happened to electronics?

 

[Antiphon]

I don't thinks that's a lethal field- unless maybe you're perched on the edge of the grand canyon in your Hoveround electric wheelchair. The EMP might fry just the joystick controls but not the motor drive...