**** Info via Environment Canada
Lightning Physics!
With summer already in full swing, it’s time for Lightning Safety Awareness Week!
A violent lightning storm descends over Kamloops, British Columbia.
Lightning is one of the most stunning weather phenomena, as it not only lights up the sky, but can also cause thunder!
How does lightning form?
Lightning requires specific conditions to form, such as turbulent winds and a developing storm that produces ice. Within a cloud, turbulent air leads the ice particles to collide with each other, causing them to break down into smaller particles.
According to Charles-Augustin de Coulomb, a famous French physicist, similar charges repel, and opposite charges attract. By applying these properties to the cloud system, we can see that the negative charge is spread out along the bottom of the cloud, and the positive charge is spread out along the top of the cloud:
When we see lightning, what we are seeing is:
- the interaction between the ground’s positively charged particles and the cloud’s negatively charged particles; or
- the interaction between the positive and negative regions inside a cloud; or
- the interaction between the positive and negative regions of two or more clouds.
Lightning is the rapid discharge of electricity that comes from these interactions. It helps to stabilize the charged cloud. Then, more charge builds up, and the process repeats itself!
Stay safe!
While lightning can be a fascinating sight, it also poses a significant safety risk. The only safe place during a thunderstorm is inside. If you hear thunder, find shelter immediately, either in a house or a car, and stay there until 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder is heard before resuming any outdoor activities.
And remember: When thunder roars, GO INDOORS!
To learn more, visit our lightning safety page.
