What causes lightning?

Answer 1

Its based on Electrostatic induction theory. The theory is that opposite charges are driven apart by the above mechanism and energy is stored in the electric fields between them. Cloud electrification appears to require strong updrafts which carry water droplets upward, supercooling them to -10 to -20 C. These collide with ice crystals to form a soft ice-water mixture called graupel. The collisions result in a slight positive charge being transferred to ice crystals, and a slight negative charge to the graupel. Updrafts drive lighter ice crystals upwards, causing the cloud top to accumulate increasing positive charge. The heavier negatively charged graupel falls towards the middle and lower portions of the cloud, building up an increasing negative charge. Charge separation and accumulation continue until the electrical potential becomes sufficient to initiate lightning discharges

Answer 2

When air rises and falls within a thunderstorm, positive and negative charges form in the cloud. The bottom of the thundercloud has a negative charge, and the top has a positive charge. A flash of lightning happens when a charge becomes so strong that the air can’t stop it from jumping from the cloud to the ground, which has a positive charge. Lightning can also form inside the cloud, moving between the positively and negatively charged areas. The average flash of lightning could turn on a 100-watt light bulb for more than three months. The air near a lightning strike is hotter than the surface of the Sun..

Answer 3

Lightning is produced in thunderstorms when liquid and ice particles above the freezing level collide, and build up large electrical fields in the clouds. Once these electric fields become large enough, a giant "spark" occurs between them, like static electricity, reducing the charge separation. The lightning spark can occur between clouds, between the cloud and air, or between the cloud and ground. As in the photo above, cloud-to-ground lightning usually occurs near the boundary between the updraft region (where the darkest) clouds are, and the downdraft/raining region (with the lighter, fuzzy appearance). Sometimes, however, the lightning bolt can come out of the side of the storm, and strike a location miles away, seemingly coming out of the clear blue sky. As long as a thunderstorm continues to produce lightning, you know that the storm still has active updrafts and is still producing precipitation. The temperature inside a lightning bolt can reach 50,000 degrees F, hotter than the surface of the sun. Objects that are struck by lightning can catch on fire, or show little or no evidence of burning at all.

in simple words it is when two clouds bumb into each other...
this onw time i was traveling through air in a rough weather and i was over the clouds...i saw the clouds bumb into each other and creating a white surface for kilometers it was beautiful and it was nite time.....take care

Answer 4

Lightning in a thunderstorm occurs because the freezing process that takes place at upper levels of the storm separates positive and negative charges. The action of rising and descending air in the updrafts and downdrafts of the storm separates these charged particles further, and allows broad areas of negative and positive charge to develop within a thunderstorm. Lightning results from the build-up and discharge of electrical energy between positively and negatively charged areas of the storm, and between charged portions of the storm and the ground.
The air near a lightning strike is heated to 50,000 degrees F -- hotter than the surface of the sun! The rapid heating and cooling of air near the lightning channel causes a shock wave that results in thunder.

Many fires in the western United States and Alaska are started by lightning. In the past decade, over 15,000 lightning-induced fires nationwide have resulted in several hundred million dollars a year in damage and the loss of 2 million acres of forest.

Answer 5

Lightning is produced in thunderstorms when liquid and ice particles above the freezing level collide, and build up large electrical fields in the clouds. Once these electric fields become large enough, a giant "spark" occurs between them, like static electricity, reducing the charge separation. The lightning spark can occur between clouds, between the cloud and air, or between the cloud and ground. As in the photo above, cloud-to-ground lightning usually occurs near the boundary between the updraft region The temperature inside a lightning bolt can reach 50,000 degrees F, hotter than the surface of the sun but not hotter than sun

Answer 6

Lightning is an atmospheric discharge of electricity, which usually, but not always, occurs during rain storms, and frequently during volcanic eruptions or dust storms.

Answer 7

rubbing of two differently charged clouds electricity and heat is produced. Due to the sudden expansion of air due to heat ,thunder is produced.

Answer 8

When two clouds having different charges come closer there is lightenig and thunder.

Answer 9

Clash of the clouds and air

Answer 10

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning