You might just say oh it's just the white light I see in the sky every time there is a thunderstorm. Well that is not even the half of it. There is way more to lightning that you don't even know. I am here to inform you and give you facts and safety tips about lightning.
Lightning occurs when there is a difference of charge between two different regions. Reaching a certain point the air between the two regions becomes ionized causing lightning. In order for this to occur an extreme amount of energy is used up. This is the process that creates lightning. When lightning is around there is three types of energy is present. Light, heat, and sound energy. Lightning is a very interesting phenomenon.
The sky contains a large amount of electric charge. A calm sky contains a neutral charge because the positive and negative charges are evenly spread throughout the atmosphere. While in a thunderstorm the electric charge is setup in a different arrangement. Ice crystals and hailstones are in a thunderstorm. Ice crystals have a positive charge and hailstones have a negative charge. A term called updraft causes the ice crystals to move to the top of the thunderstorm cloud, while the hailstones are pushed to the bottom of the cloud by downdraft. After this process the thunderstorm cloud is separated into two different sections. The positive charged ice crystals are at the top and the negative charged hailstones are at the bottom. When there is a thunderstorm going on the Earth's surface has a positive charge. The negative charged hailstones are attracted to the Earth's charged surface. Overcoming air resistance a large charge rushes down towards the Earth, this is known as a stepped leader. The positive charge from the Earth is attracted to the stepped leader. Meeting the stepped leader a large electric current is sent into the thunderstorm cloud. The electric current is known as lightning. This is visible to people on Earth. This is how a lightning strike occurs.
There is not just one type of lightning. Lightning exists in different forms. The main type of lightning seen by is ground to cloud. Lightning goes from the cloud to the ground or the other way around. Another type of lightning is cloud to cloud. In this type of lightning the two clouds must have opposite charges. The final type of lightning is called ball lightning. With ball lightning a ball of lightning is in the sky and after a few seconds it explodes.
While there is lightning everyone should know the proper safety facts. When there is a thunderstorm everyone should try to stay indoors. People should also stay away from doors and windows. If you are using electrical products or appliances you should turn them off immediately. Another important tip is to never be on a phone while there is lightning going on. If you are in a pool or body of water you should try to get out of it immediately, also do not take a shower or a bath. You shouldn't use metal objects during a lightning storm. You are not to handle objects which are flammable. People might think that they are in danger while in a car, but it is actually safe to stay in your car. If you are stuck in a place where there is no shelter you should avoid the highest object in the area. If you are working at a job that uses bulldozers, cranes, or a tractor you should avoid those objects because they are likely to get struck by lightning.
When you are at your house stay off your porch and deck. People should stay away from plumbing, things like pipes while there is lightning present. When there is thunder and lightning storms going you should watch the weather forecast and be aware of how the storm is doing. If you are outdoors during a thunderstorm try to stay away from trees. While outside if you feel your hair stand up there is a good possibility that lightning will strike soon. If by any chance you are stuck outdoors don't lie flat on the ground, you should crouch down into a ball. If you are around a person that is struck by lightning call 9-1-1 immediately. You shouldn't be afraid to touch the person, since they do not have an electrical charge. By now you should be a pro on lightning safety. Try to stay safe while there is a lightning storm going on.
There are lightning facts that are very interesting. Lightning is one of the most powerful things in nature. Country wide lightning kills about 85 Americans and inures more. Those people who survive may suffer from memory loss, dizziness, weakness, and numbness. If you watch the news you will see how lightning destroys houses and businesses. Lightning can also start massive forest fires. The main place where thunderstorms and lighting occurs is in moist areas. Did you know that the temperature of a lightning bolt is hotter than the surface of the sun? Thunder could be 12 miles away and you would still be able to hear it. At any given time there are 50 to 100 cloud to ground lightning strikes all around the world. On average most lighting strikes are 2 to 3 miles long each! Each lightning strike has a current of 10000 amps. An average lightning bolt has a diameter of a quarter to half dollar. You might have heard the rumor that lightning can't strike twice well that is false. Every blot of electricity may contain up to 1 billion volts of electricity.
