2006-11-27 13:10:07 · 3 answers · asked by azmath_rahiman 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Actually Chameleon is right. Despite the fact that a lightning bolt lasts only fractions of a second, the average bolt transfers almost 500 megajoules of energy. Thats enough to light a 100-watt light bulb for about 2 months.
As for harnessing the power behind lighting, it can be done on a small scale. Look at a Vandegraaff generator which uses a belt and metal dome to create electric charge. As for the lightning that comes from storms. It is surprising to realize that it is quite unpredictable to human kind at this point, and the thought of being able to control lightning on that large of a scale is simply not feasible at this time.
-Christopher
2006-11-27 13:58:01 · answer #1 · answered by Christopher 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lightning lasts only for a fraction of a second. It probably equals out to a small amount of energy if you tried ot harness it and light a bulb.
2006-11-27 21:13:28 · answer #2 · answered by Roman Soldier 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you nuts? Didn't you learn anything from watching Back to the Future? We are talking gigawatts here, man! You'll get fried!
2006-11-27 21:19:10 · answer #3 · answered by chameleon 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋