How do clouds become charged in a thunder storm?

Answer 1

Lightning is associated with thunder storms and is found throughout the cloud.
As a towering cumulus cloud develops, a large electrical charge separation builds up with in the cloud. Lightning results when this electrical charge becomes strong enough to jump from the cloud to ground,to another cloud,or to an opposite electrical charge within the same cloud.
Although the process that creates lightning is not fully understood,it is enhanced substantially when the cloud grows in height above the freezing level. As the outer boundaries of water droplets start to freeze, positive ions,or particles with a positive charge flow to the area of ice formation. This creates an outer shell which is positively charged and a center which is negatively charged.
When the interior freezes and expands, it shatters the outer shell.
The droplets can also be broken up by colliding with other particles. In either case the lighter pieces are then carried in the updrafts to the top of the cloud. The heavier negatively charged particles fall to the bottom of the cloud. This makes th top of th cloud to have a net positive charge while the lower part has a net negative charge. As the negative charge builds at the bottom of the cloud, it repels the negative charge on the earths surface. This leaves the area below the cloud with a positive charge. This positive charged area acts like a shadow that follows th cloud as it moves.
When the cloud has a very intense neg. charge at the base, it seeks to neutralize itself by discharging to a positive area.
This discharge is what we see as lightning. When it discharges it goes to the most accessible charge. This is usually within the cloud itself, or between the clouds. At times,however it goes from
the cloud to the ground.
Lightning begins when a neg charged pilot leader descends from the cloud. This leader forms a conductive path approx. eight inches in diameter and from 35 to 150 feet long.. At this point the electrons in the cloud begin to descend down the path. This recharges the path and causes additional leaders to extend earthward. These leaders are called stepped leaders (not ladders!) because they seek the most conductive path to the ground and may try several branches before the Best is located. As the path is extended the electrons from the cloud extend further downward. The final stepped leader takes place a few feet above the earth where it is met by a rising pos. flow from the surface. With the path completed, the positive ions ion the earth can now flow to the cloud and neutralize the the lower portion of the cloud. This upward flow is refereed to as the return stroke and because it energizes the air molecules and illuminates the path you see it as lightning.. Before the path dissipates, the first stroke is followed by additional strokes which further neutralize the neg. charges in the cloud. What appears to be a single lightning flash can actually be 3 or 4 strokes. The actual stroke of lightning takes less than 1/2 second to occur. and that includes the leaders and three or four return strokes.

The peak current in the channel can reach 10,000 amps and the air in the channel can be heated to a temp hotter than the surface of the sun.

Answer 2

Clouds dont collect frictiont molecules in the air do. Lightning does not need a cloud contrary to popular belief. Any way. Friction causes the energetic build up and charging of ions thus producing a release. This just happens more is stormy conditions becaus water not only bieng a great conduit of electricity also causes friction in the atmosphere when rain forms and falls.

In colorado there are many reports of people bieng stuck by lightning on a clear sunny day. Colorado is also the must lightning struck place in the world

Answer 3

See if you can understand this link. It seems to suggest that rain/snow etc draws charge from the cloud and that the falling of/lifting of precipitation through the cloud or in updrafts, or the change of state at the freezing layer provides opportunities for the charge to be spread out in that particular area producing a large difference in charge through the cloud. That's my best understanding but it doesn't seem to cover why charge develops in the first place except through the simplistic explanation of internal friction in the cloud.

Answer 4

It is due to static electricity. In the rainy season,there is a diff. in pressure and temp. between the different parts in the atmos. It is formed due to friction from winds, the clouds get electrically charged during a thunder storm. The upper part is +vely charged while the lower is -ve.

Answer 5

Actually thunder is owned by the government , it is what is known as a high roaming tax so anyone that is up in the clouds is going to get charged there is no excape it started with water they just gone one futher this time

Answer 6

ANY moving bodies makes friction that leads to building up a charge (this charge depends on size and strength of friction surfaces). So the clouds are naturally charged by the air movement around.
The clouds goes up and down due to its temperature, and they slide normally horizontally due to air movement. So, when one lower (charged) cloud slide very near to the above (charged) cloud, and due to their very big size of fraction area, a massive charge is then built up that needs to be discharged to the biggest natural discharger,, yes, the earth. So they take the shortest path to the earth to discharge the massive charge that was built due to the massive natural friction.

Answer 7

When 2 fronts meet, they slide over each other, cold beneath and hotter above. The friction is what causes the charge to accumulate.

Answer 8

because of the constant motion of the clouds

Answer 9

It's all those atoms rubbing together, building up charge.

Answer 10

By direct debit.