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Lightning is the result of air molecules being superheated (up to approximately 54,000° F, or six times the surface temperature of the sun!) by a massive surge of electricity. As such, lightning is always visible if you're close enough, though it may be obscured by opaque and semi-opaque materials such as clouds, smoke, soot, heavy snow, tornadic debris, etc.

As a general rule of thumb, if you're close enough to hear the thunderclap, you were probably close enough to see the lightning. (And if you can hear thunder, you're at risk of being struck by lightning, so take shelter immediately.)

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What did Mr Franklin learn from his observations that he sought?

Mr. Franklin learned from his observations that different types of electrical phenomena, such as lightning, shared similar characteristics with static electricity. He sought to understand the nature of electricity through experiments, leading to his groundbreaking discovery that lightning is a form of electricity. This realization contributed to the development of safety measures, such as the lightning rod, and advanced the scientific understanding of electrical principles.


What are some examples of electric discharge?

Lightning would be one.And the sparks of static electricity you see are too.


Is lightning a light source or reflector?

Lightning is not a traditional light source like the sun or a light bulb, as it does not produce light through a thermal or chemical process. Instead, lightning is an electrical discharge that generates light as a result of the rapid heating and ionization of air molecules along its path. Therefore, lightning can be considered a light source in the sense that it emits light, rather than a reflector that simply bounces light off its surface.


Lightening is caused by?

Lightning is static electricity.


How does lighning work?

Lightning rods provide an earthed conduit for the charge to flow along. The energy moves through the rod, through the attached cable and into the ground, dissipating with no ill effects. This as opposed to going through the house or building and setting parts on fire or destroying the circuitry.

Related Questions

Where does lightning form?

Lightning forms in clouds.


What is the adjective form of lightning?

The noun lightning itself (electrical discharge) is used as a noun adjunct, rather than an adjective, in such terms as lightning bolt or lightning rod. Only when the intent is to show great speed or quickness (lightning speed, lightning reflexes) is lightning an adjective.


What kind of cloud forms lightning?

Cumulonimbus clouds form lightning


Do tornadoes cause lightning?

No. Since tornadoes form in thunderstorms they are usually accompanied by lightning, but they do not actually cause lightning.


Who is the first person to prove that lightning is a form of electricity?

Benjamin Franklin was the first person to prove that lightning is a form of electricity.


How did a mushroom form in a lightning?

It isn't the lightning, but the rain, which promotes the growth of mushrooms.


What is the past tense of lightning?

Lightning can be used as a noun (bolt of lightning) or an adjective (lightning fast). It is not a verb, so it does not have a past tense form.


Why does lightning form?

a lightning form when cold air mass pushes warm air mass up because of this hard reaction it forms lightning. this is called cold air mass.


What is a good form of electricity?

lightning


Is lightning a form of electromagnetic energy?

Lightning is a form of electromagnetic energy. It is a massive electrostatic discharge of light particles between the atmosphere and the Earth.


Why do thunder form?

thunder comes after the lightning. so, the lightning is related to how thunders are form. when lightning strikes, it warms the air surrounded to it. then, when the hot air meets and crash with each other, they make a noise.


Is thermal energy required to form lightning?

No, lightning is just a big spark of static electricity.