What are lightning storms?

Answer 1

Lighting is the atmospheric discharge of electricity. This electricity is the result of static charges that build up after being generated for reasons that are not clearly understood. Note that any simple action resulting in friction, like pulling plastic wrap off a roll or shuffling across a rug on a dry day, will generate static charges. Moving air can separate charges, and ice is thought to be involved, but the mechanism is not completely explained by science.

When charges are separated, an electrical force appears between them. This force is voltage, the electromotive force. As more charges separate, voltage builds, and at some point, this voltage will be so great that it will ionize air between the charges. Current will flow along this ionized path, and this is lightning. Moving electrons carry the current. The ionized air is superheated, and it emits an intense light. The light we see is the lightning, and the superheating of the air creates a shock wave we perceive as thunder. The bolt can pass from ground to cloud, from cloud to ground, or from cloud to cloud. Links can be found below for more information.

Lightning is a natural phenomenon of electrostatic discharge breakdown that occurs when static electricity builds up between thunderclouds or between the cloud and the earth.

If the difference in electrical potential between two points is more than 100 million volts,

it produces a plasma during discharge, causing an explosive expansion of air by heat. By dissipating, this plasma creates a flash of light and thunder.

Answer 2

Cumulonimbus clouds possess a strong electrical charge which varies as you move upwards through the cloud. Nearer the base, it is strongly negative, becoming strongly positive in the upper reaches. The Earth also normally has a negative charge, but during a thunderstorm this charge becomes positive. The simplest explanation for this can be found in a comparison to magnets. Since the lower portion of the cloud and the planet are both negatively charged, they repel each other, much like two magnets placed with their north poles together. As the clouds charge becomes more and more negative, so does the charge on the surface become more positive. These positive ions will then begin to move to the top of tall trees (and tall hikers on ridges) as they are attracted to the negative charge in the cloud. Because air is a very poor conductor, these ions cannot easily travel to one another. Lightning is the result of this electrical field building up to such an extent to overcome the poor conductivity of the air. Suddenly, the insulating capacity of the air breaks down and lightning occurs. Quite simply when there are enough charged particles, a sudden violent movement of negatively charged particles from the cloud to the Earth will occur - lightning. This will continue for up to about a second; until the difference in charge is reduced sufficiently. The process of build up will then begin again.

Answer 3

Lightning is a rapid flow of charge (energy) through the air between two opposite points, seen as an intense spark of electricity. Although there are various theories, the charges are thought to be caused by friction between water particles in the air.

There are several types of lightning, the typical ones being cloud-to-ground, or cloud-to-cloud, or so-called positive lightning which strikes from the top of clouds to the ground (often far from the cloud).

Answer 4

The definition for the word lightning is "the occurrence of a natural electrical discharge of very short duration and high voltage between a cloud and the ground or within a cloud, accompanied by a bright flash and typically also thunder."

Answer 5

Friction between clouds in the sky causes sudden electrostatic charge discharge. Which usually occurs during thunderstorms or rains. A huge amount of charge comes towards the ground, which we could see as light and the clamor of sound reaches our ears, this whole process is called Celestial lightning.

Answer 6

the flow of electricity between a cloud and the ground (APEX)

Answer 7

there are different types of lightning for an example there is storms and sorts of speeches used!::))