Eli5: how does thunder and lightning happen?
In: 7
Basically, the ice crystals in a thunderstorm rub up against each other and generate a massive static charge. Once this static charge becomes large enough, it discharges to the earth. Thunder happens because the air gets superheated and essentially explodes when the lightning discharges, generating a shockwave which you hear as the thunder.
Thunder and lightning happen when there is a buildup of electrical energy in the atmosphere during a storm. The storm clouds move around and create friction between each other, which causes the buildup of this electrical energy.
When the electrical energy becomes too strong, it is discharged in the form of lightning. Lightning is a giant spark that travels between the negatively charged bottom of the cloud and the positively charged ground.
The air around the lightning bolt heats up very quickly and expands rapidly, creating a shock wave that we hear as thunder. This is why we see the lightning first and then hear the thunder a few seconds later.
Lightning is basically static electricity between particles in clouds.
Normally the air/atmosphere is an insulator and doesn’t allow current to flow. During a storm that produces lightning the voltage increases and starts to turn the air into plasma, which is conductive. Typically the biggest difference in charge is between the storm (-) and the ground (+), so the strike typically goes from the storm to the ground.
Thunder is the result of lightning. Basically it rapidly makes the air hotter and increases the pressure causing the air to expand quickly. The expansion of air is the sound of thunder.
Thunder and lightning happen when there is a buildup of electrical energy in the atmosphere during a storm. The storm clouds move around and create friction between each other, which causes the buildup of this electrical energy.
When the electrical energy becomes too strong, it is discharged in the form of lightning. Lightning is a giant spark that travels between the negatively charged bottom of the cloud and the positively charged ground.
The air around the lightning bolt heats up very quickly and expands rapidly, creating a shock wave that we hear as thunder. This is why we see the lightning first and then hear the thunder a few seconds later.
Lightning is basically static electricity between particles in clouds.
Normally the air/atmosphere is an insulator and doesn’t allow current to flow. During a storm that produces lightning the voltage increases and starts to turn the air into plasma, which is conductive. Typically the biggest difference in charge is between the storm (-) and the ground (+), so the strike typically goes from the storm to the ground.
Thunder is the result of lightning. Basically it rapidly makes the air hotter and increases the pressure causing the air to expand quickly. The expansion of air is the sound of thunder.
You ever zapped yourself on the finger after shuffling around and then touching something metal?
Lightning is basically that except the clouds are your finger and the piece of metal is the earth. One side has built up a charge of electrons that wants to equalize and move out, and when it finds a way to travel and escape, it takes it.
Thunder is caused because lightning heats the air around it to fives times hotter than the surface of the sun in a fraction of a second. Air expands when its heated, so thunder is basically the air violently exploding outwards.
You ever zapped yourself on the finger after shuffling around and then touching something metal?
Lightning is basically that except the clouds are your finger and the piece of metal is the earth. One side has built up a charge of electrons that wants to equalize and move out, and when it finds a way to travel and escape, it takes it.
Thunder is caused because lightning heats the air around it to fives times hotter than the surface of the sun in a fraction of a second. Air expands when its heated, so thunder is basically the air violently exploding outwards.
You ever zapped yourself on the finger after shuffling around and then touching something metal?
Lightning is basically that except the clouds are your finger and the piece of metal is the earth. One side has built up a charge of electrons that wants to equalize and move out, and when it finds a way to travel and escape, it takes it.
Thunder is caused because lightning heats the air around it to fives times hotter than the surface of the sun in a fraction of a second. Air expands when its heated, so thunder is basically the air violently exploding outwards.
Latest Answers