Lightning
Lightning is a natural phenomenon which occurs as a result of an electrical discharge triggered by a build up of differing charges within a cloud. Clouds can contain millions of Water Droplets and Ice Particles. Rising water droplets collide with ice particles. The collision causes the rising droplets to become positively charged and the falling ice to become negatively charged. The ground and upper section of the cloud gain a strong positive charge whilst the lower section of the cloud gains a strong negative charge. When the bottom of the cloud is charged enough a charge emerges called the Stepped Leader. When the Stepped Leader gets close to the ground it atracts an upward moving charge called the Upward Leader. When these charges connect they create a bolt of ground-to-cloud lightning called Streamers.
You may also be interested in: Test your understanding of how lightning forms and the physics behind a thunderstorm. 1. What process inside a storm cloud leads to the build-up of static electricity? 2. Which subatomic particles are transferred to create the electrical charge in the cloud? 3. Why does lightning happen despite air being an insulator? 4. What is the physical cause of the sound we call thunder? 5. Which of the following is a recommended safety tip during a lightning storm?
how static electricity works
how a Van de Graaff Generator work
⚡ Knowledge Check: Lightning & Static Electricity
Click to Reveal Answers
2. Electrons (Negative charges that move to create static electricity).
3. The charge becomes large enough (The massive build-up overcomes the insulating property of air).
4. Rapid expansion of air (Heating causes air to expand suddenly, creating a shockwave).
5. Stay inside a hard-topped car or building (These provide protection from a direct strike).
Tags: How lightning works; how does lighning work; what is lightning, Cloud to ground lightning, lightning in clouds, how does lightning happen, lightning bolt, how does lightning start, how does lightning work, how does lightning strike, how does lightning occur, why does lightning occur