How does lightning and thunder happen ?

Question

I am awfully afraid of it . Tell me how to get rid of it also .

Answer 1

How lightning strikes

When the negative charge in a cloud becomes great enough, it seeks an easy path to the positively charged ground below. The current looks for a good conductor of electricity, or a tall structure anchored to the ground (such as a tree or a tall building). The negative charge sends out a feeler, called a stepped leader, which is a series of invisible steps of negative charges.

As the stepped leader nears the ground, a positive streamer reaches up for it. Only then, once this channel is made, does the visible lightning happen. A return stroke runs from the ground to the clouds in a spectacular flash.

Though the bolt appears continuous, it is actually a series of short bursts. Most lightning strikes occur in less than a half second and the bolt is usually less than 2 inches in diameter.

Thunder

The air around a lightning bolt is superheated to about 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit (five times hotter than the sun!). This sudden heating causes the air to expand faster than the speed of sound, which compresses the air and forms a shock wave; we hear it as thunder. Since the bolt is actually several short bursts strung together, multiple shock waves are created at different altitudes; this is why thunder seems to rumble -- each shock wave takes a different amount of time to reach your ear.

Answer 2

Normally air is a bad conductor of electricity.However,when two clouds having huge amount of positive and negative static charges approach each other,the air becomes a good conductor of electricity.Thus the electrons from the negatively charged cloud push their way through the air so as to reach the positively charged cloud.In doing so,the air gets white hot and hence a dazzling bluish white streak of light is formed which is called lightning.

Because of this intense heat produced,the air suddenly expands and sends out huge pressure waves.These waves produce claps of THUNDER.

The best method of defence is offence.Thus, we invite the lightning to strike the building but take care that it does not damage the building.This is done by installing a lightning conductor.The idea of using lightning conductors was first given by Benjamin Franklin about 250 years ago.The conductor is made of copper and hence if lightning occurs,the discharge all flows into the conductor as copper is a very good conductor of electricity without damaging the building.

Answer 3

The electric charges between the ground and the clouds and higher clouds are opposite which causes them to be attracted to one another. When enough static electricity builds up in the clouds it is attracted to the ground and thats when lightning strikes.

The thunder is the sound of the super-heated air (lightning is really really hot). Because light travels faster than sound, that's why you see the lightning first and then hear the thunder.

Answer 4

crashing of two sets of clouds...this happens when strong winds are blowing...the crashing creates lightning and the thunder is the sound of this lightning...the lightining usually takes place high up in the clouds but the crashing creates a a single static charge and the other end being the earth the lighting gets attracted to earth to the most highest position on earth...as light travels faster than sound u see the lightning first and follwed by the thunder...scientiists have learnt how to store such lightening in the form of electric energy...

Answer 5

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RE:
How does lightning and thunder happen ?

Answer 6

Air turbulence strips electrons from molecules of air, creating electrically charged ions. When the ions become concentrated within a cloud, they cause a very high voltage, typically hundreds of millions of volts, to exist between that cloud and the ground or another cloud. The voltage causes an ionized path of air to form, along which a sudden discharge of a million or so amperes occurs, resulting in a very hot, bright arc. The heating of air within the arc causes it to expand and then contract very rapidly, generating very loud sonic waves which we hear as thunder.

Answer 7

Why Does It Thunder

Answer 8

When potential difference between the ground and the cloud or between two clouds exceeds a certain limit,lightning is produced in the form of arc.This arc suddenly heats the nearby air causing sudden expansion and contraction of the air resulting in a loud sound called thunder.This is the simplest explanation I can give you.

Answer 9

lightning happens due to static electricity produced wen two big clouds collide. d gravity of earth attracts it 2wards itself. nd thunder happens due 2 friction b/w air molecules which expanded due 2 being in contact of lightning wich is very hot.

Answer 10

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