Lightning is a discharge of electricity. This extreme heating causes the air to expand explosively fast. The expansion creates a shock wave that turns into a booming sound wave, known as thunder. As ice crystals high within a thunderstorm cloud flow up and down in the turbulent air, they crash into each other.
Small negatively charged particles called electrons are knocked off some ice and added to other ice as they crash past each other. The top of the cloud becomes positively charged while the base of the cloud becomes negatively charged.
It is characterized by strong winds such as in hurricanes and windstorms, heavy rain or snow such as in snowstorms and rainstorms, blizzard, hail, sandstorms, and thunderstorms which are marked by the occurrence of thunder and lightning.
A thunderstorm occurs when there is a raid upward movement of warm, moist air. As it moves upward, it loses heat and cools then compresses and form cumulonimbus clouds where air currents form water droplets and ice particles which collide with each other and build up static energy which causes thunder and lighting. Lightning is that sudden flash of electricity in the sky which can either be straight or forked.
It is very hot, reaching a temperature of up to 54, degrees Fahrenheit. It can travel at a speed of up to , miles per hour. Lightning strikes tall objects because it always takes the fastest way to the ground.
If it is forked, the leader bolt goes down towards the ground then a return stroke snaps back up on the path created by the leader bolt. When air around the electric bolt expands, it produces sound energy which is called thunder. While thunder and lightning usually occur at the same time, light travels faster than sound so lightning is seen before thunder can be heard. In rare instances, the worst it can do is temporarily damage hearing. This happens if lightning struck nearby, which means the clap of thunder is at its loudest and sharpest.
Lightning is one of the most awesome forces of nature. The zig-zagging path of highly concentrated bolts of electricity holds immense energy. Its surface is estimated to be several times hotter than the surface of the sun. Thankfully, it is relatively short-lived, which means it can only damage objects that it is able to make direct contact with.
Lightning is usually caused by the electrically charged parts of clouds. When two electrically charged clouds come into contact with one another, lightning is produced. There have been a lot of recorded lightning strikes that hit people, yet some miraculously survived. What travels more quickly, light or sound?
Do you need to review the Storm Safety page? More activities to try: Make Lightning! Make it Rain!
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