2007-01-24 14:17:56 · 8 answers · asked by goher s 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
The same. The speed of light is constant.
2007-01-24 14:21:32 · answer #1 · answered by ANON 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The speed is normally no more than half the speed of light, usually substantially less.
The process that creates a lightning stroke is not light transfer, but is the transfer of electrical energy (charge) through the air. Much like an electrical cable, the air, even though it is ionized, has some resistance to charge transfer. The speed of the stroke is impeded by having to transfer the energy from molecule to molecule along the way, in the process literally exploding the molecules into atoms.
The bottom tip of a lightning bolt traveling from a cloud to the ground does travel rather quickly, although it travels at much less than the speed of light. A lightning discharge consists of electrons which have been stripped from their molecules flying through the air. They are accelerated by a strong electric field, a consequence of the big voltage difference between the cloud and the ground. They crash into air molecules on their way down and free other electrons, making a tube of ionized air.
The "leader", the first stroke of a lightning discharge, actually proceeds in steps -- lengthening by about 30 meters at a time, taking about a microsecond (one millionth of a second) to do each step. There is a pause between steps of about 50 microseconds. The whole process may take a few milliseconds (one-thousanths of a second), providing enough time to perceive motion. Most of the charge flows after this leader makes electrical contact with the ground, however. A powerful "return stroke" releases much more energy. That’s not the whole story, however -- a lightning flash may have only one return stroke or may have several tens of strokes using the same column of ionized air. It may seem to flicker.
2007-01-24 14:30:38 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The speed of the electrical discharge (essentially a large electric current) is distinct from the speed of the light from the ionised air particles. In conductors, the speed of the electrical signal can reach about 2/3 speed of light. however in air, where the molecules are more widely spaced the actual speed would be much slower. Guesstimate..based on (insufficient) data for dry air at STP would be about c/3000 or 100km/s. Would imagine that conditions of humidity, temperature and pressure would affect this value by at least 25%. Tried taking pictures using Van de Graaff, but results wildly irreproducible!
2007-01-24 14:48:19 · answer #3 · answered by troothskr 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Lighting follows a zigzag path to follow the quickest route to earth.
All the molecules and atoms of the atmosphere are always moving, so a lightning strike will always follow a different path.
It will never be at the speed of light, because of this.
Eventually, man will realise that Einstein was "a leetle bit wrong"
2007-01-24 15:41:28 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
I think I understand your question, you mean if it was straight from cloud to ground as opposed to zigzagging, wouldn't it get to the ground faster? The answer isn't really one of physics, but our interpretation of what happens to the human eye.
This website should explain how lightning works better than I can.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/lightning.htm
2007-01-24 14:32:12 · answer #5 · answered by architectgolf 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yup, the speed of lightning is the same as speed of light which is 2.998 X 10^8 m/s
2007-01-24 14:26:20 · answer #6 · answered by alwayss_ready 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Same as if it did. Speed of electricity=speed of light.
2007-01-24 14:25:35 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The speed of light is constant.
2007-01-24 14:22:46 · answer #8 · answered by Michael Dino C 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋