answersLogoWhite

0

Why doesn’t lightning travel in a straight line?

Updated: 4/28/2022
User Avatar

Merlin Ankunding

Lvl 10
βˆ™ 4y ago

Verified answer
So it’s kind of a complicated process, but here’s the two-sentence version: Lightning is an electric current that takes the path of least resistance from the base of a cloud to the ground. Since the air it travels through is not uniform—variations in things like temperature, humidity, and pollutants determine how resistant air is to the charge—the lightning has to zig and zag to stay on that path.
User Avatar

Mia Herzog

Lvl 10
βˆ™ 4y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar
User Avatar

Chloe Shelton

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
Did you know all that information or did you already now it?
User Avatar

Harper Eagleman

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
Yeah
User Avatar

Skylar Hamilton will

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
i thought it was because of the gertule between thunder and air
User Avatar

Jannelle Dante

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
because air is not a perfect mixture. There are fluctuations in temperature, humidity, pollutants, dust particles, etc. in the air, and so the resistance varies.
User Avatar

Therese Herrick

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
Great Answer
User Avatar

Isabel RM

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
tgyuk
User Avatar

Anonymous _Lexii

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
Because the light gets blocked. If the light could have the ability to take a curve and travel, we could have seen the lightwave.
User Avatar

mice pigs

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
lord log commanded it to travil like a wavey wee
User Avatar

Nathaniel Gillam

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
she looked it up on google
User Avatar

mic WolfAardt

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
a short answer; there are variant electrical charges in the atmosphere and lightening, being a negative electrical charge, goes wherever it is 'attracted' to; I've seen 'flash' lightening on the Highveldt, while the Cape Peninsula has 'forked' lightening
User Avatar

i thought i needed 2...

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
avoided?
User Avatar

Nelson Chuan

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
What an joke.I looked in google but it is different i am giving it in my whatver answer box
User Avatar

Nelson Chuan

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
nvm is in google
User Avatar

Andrew Magrisso

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
Most of these answers minus the "tries to find ground."
User Avatar

Andrew Magrisso

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
Most of these answers minus the "tries to find ground."
User Avatar

Sean Tinsley

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
sup
User Avatar

Sean Tinsley

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
same
User Avatar

Sean Tinsley

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
im in college
More answers
User Avatar

kinsler33

Lvl 2
βˆ™ 2y ago

One way to understand it is to look at a crack in the sidewalk (or perhaps a cracker) and compare that shape to the path of a lightning stroke through the sky. Lightning usually originates at altitudes of around ten miles, and can reach about that far horizontally. Air does not conduct electricity until it is broken down ('ionized') by a high voltage electric field. This breakdown is a random, unpredictable process that proceeds in a series of steps between the sky and the earth.

This answer is:
User Avatar
User Avatar

Derrick Reichert

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
great answer thxxx!
User Avatar

Christelle Borer

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
thanks!!
User Avatar

David Jackson

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
WHY IS THERE A CRACKER IN THE SIDEWALK? Is he drunk? Could he be having an epilepsy event? Please, someone call Dr. Graham immediately!
User Avatar

Isabela Helmick

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
lol

User Avatar

ASRITA KUMAR

Lvl 4
βˆ™ 2y ago

Lightning basically tries to find the path of least resistance as it travels down to the ground. But this is not always a straight line because air is not a perfect mixture. There are fluctuations in temperature, humidity, pollutants, dust particles, etc. in the air, and so the resistance varies. The path it chooses doesn’t have to be a straight line (remember, a straight line means β€˜the least distance’ and not β€˜the least resistance’). In fact, you will never see a straight bolt of lightning, at least not in the real world. Does Lightning Travel Up or Down?

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Dawson Levesque

Lvl 2
βˆ™ 4y ago

lightning is basically tries to find a path with least resistance as it travels down to the ground

This answer is:
User Avatar
User Avatar

Isabela Helmick

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
simple version :]

User Avatar

Nelson Chuan

Lvl 3
βˆ™ 2y ago

Air is actually not a good conductor and hence when lightning strikes, it will try to take a path through ions or water droplets in the air. Hence, lightning doesn't strike straight down as ions and water molecules don't line up in a straight line in the air.

This answer is:
User Avatar
User Avatar

Nelson Chuan

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
From google to you~

User Avatar

[C2023] MUKESH SEVUK...

Lvl 5
βˆ™ 2y ago

Air is actually not a good conductor and hence when lightning strikes, it will try to take a path through ions or water droplets in the air. Hence, lightning doesn't strike straight down as ions and water molecules don't line up in a straight line in the air.

This answer is:
User Avatar
User Avatar

Clemmie Schiller

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
Can you explain how you know

User Avatar

Chea phanakphu

Lvl 5
βˆ™ 2y ago

Lightning basically tries to find the path of least resistance as it travels down to the ground. But this is not always a straight line because air is not a perfect mixture. There are fluctuations in temperature, humidity, pollutants, dust particles, etc. in the air, and so the resistance varies.

This answer is:
User Avatar
User Avatar

Nasir Nader

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
thank youuu

User Avatar

kwalabapuzo

Lvl 7
βˆ™ 2y ago

Lighting is an electric current. It's a flow of electrons that's about a thousand times stronger than the current in our houses.

Lightning basically tries to find the path of least resistance as it travels down to the ground.

But this is not always a straight line because air is not a perfect mixture.

There are fluctuations in temperature, humidity, pollutants, dust particles, etc. in the air, and so the resistance varies.

As a result, lightning strikes are often observed in a zigzag pattern.

This answer is:
User Avatar
User Avatar

Mylene Wintheiser

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
Can you explain that answer?
User Avatar

Isabela Helmick

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
lol
User Avatar

Anya Kub

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
tyyy
User Avatar

mckenna lien

Lvl 1
βˆ™ 2y ago
that's true

User Avatar

Lily Bai

Lvl 5
βˆ™ 2y ago

Lightning basically tries to find the path of least resistance as it travels down to the ground. But this is not always a straight line because air is not a perfect mixture. There are fluctuations in temperature, humidity, pollutants, dust particles, etc. in the air, and so the resistance varies.

This answer is:
User Avatar
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp