2006-09-12 06:11:37 · 32 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather
Every direction. Ground up, down to the ground and across the sky.
2006-09-12 06:13:10 · answer #1 · answered by An Unhappy Yahoo User 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Popular convention says that electrical energy travels (in the form of electrons) from the negative pole to the positive pole. (The earth is a negative ground...the big cumulus clouds develop a positive charge.) By this convention the electrical energy travels from the earth to the cloud.
Time lapse photos of lightning show the bolt traveling from the cloud and joining with a smaller "bolt" which travels up from the earth. A bunch of sites on the net will have photos of this. Interesting thing is that space photography of thunderstorms also show a plasma event above the thunderhead of large storms emitting some plasma thing into space.
2006-09-12 06:16:23 · answer #2 · answered by FilmfibrilProcess 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
lightning is a visible bolt of electricity connecting the ground to the sky/clouds basically, it comes from both the clouds and the ground and connects in the middle, either that or from the ground. if you have on handy use a camera in the next lightning storm you see and slow the video down frame by frame then you'll see, if you dont, just beleive one of us people :)
2006-09-12 06:18:00 · answer #3 · answered by viki c 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It can go from cloud to ground, ground to cloud, or cloud to cloud. It just depends on where the excess charge happens to be. There can be an excess of electrons on the ground which "leap up" to satisfy an electron deficient area of a cloud, and vice versa.
Here's a great picture that illustrates what I mean...
http://www.centennialofflight.gov/2003FF/lightning/clouddiagram.jpg
Peace
2006-09-12 06:22:28 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
From studying electricity, it can go both way, most time from the ground up. The actual question is which way does the current go. The clouds rub together and create charge (like rubbing your feet on the carpet and touching somethingto get shocked) the ground (earth) is a neutral and the greater potential from the clound "arcs" to the ground.
2006-09-12 06:15:03 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Any direction, its even possible for lightning to form ground-to-ground as long as there are two strong opposite electric charges.
2006-09-12 13:48:54 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lightning goes up and down.
2006-09-12 06:24:17 · answer #7 · answered by Wendy M 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Initally, from ground to sky. This is followed, very rapidly, by the main strike from sky to ground. Lightning also can strike from one cloud to another.
2006-09-12 07:08:53 · answer #8 · answered by cyberpat1957 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The electric charge goes from the sky downwards, because electron movement is from positive to negative, the earth being negative in this case. But when the circuit is complete, the flash of light actually travels from the grounding point upwards, so it appears to eminate from the ground up.
2006-09-12 06:20:12 · answer #9 · answered by Bella 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
its a small tracer that goes up from the ground 1st. it goes that quick & is very faint that u wont see it. the one u see comes back down. mega lightning goes from the cloud level straight up in space almost!
2006-09-13 07:50:19 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋