2006-10-04 04:24:08 · 4 answers · asked by tbone 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather
I may be wrong but I believe that ligtning travels down to the ground and before it hit a bolt travels up from the ground to meet the orginating bolt.
# As the negative charges collect at the bottom of the cloud it forces the negative charges in the ground to be forced away from the surface. This leaves the ground positive.
# A streamer of negative charges is repelled by the bottom of the cloud and attracted by the ground.
# As this streamer of negative charges approaches the ground, a streamer of positive charges is repelled by the ground and attracted to the negative streamer.
# When the two streamers connect, they have created a fairly conductive path which allows a sudden down surge of electrons to jump to the ground. This is the lightning.
# The rapidly moving electrons excite the air along the path so much that it emits light. It also heats the air so intensely that it rapidly expands creating thunder.
# One thing to notice is that the positive charges that make up both the cloud and the ground do not move. Even the positive streamer launched by the ground is really only made up of positively charged air particles because the electron(s) left the particle.
2006-10-04 04:40:35 · answer #1 · answered by kramr1971 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Im 100% sure the light travels from the ground up. It looks like it's the opposite b/c of the charge pathways that have zigzagged down, but contrary to popular belief, it definitely travels upward.
2006-10-04 04:44:23 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The LIGHT travels in multiple directions away from the lightning. Thats why we can see it !
2006-10-04 05:16:54 · answer #3 · answered by andyoptic 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Doubtless, from N to P.
2006-10-04 04:27:12 · answer #4 · answered by tanmax DM 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋