Thread: Lightning

My teacher told me that lightning most oftenly goes from cloud to cloud. Before the lightning, or electrons, actually transfer, my teacher said that there are these invisible fibers that reach the cloud in which the lightning is going to be transferred to. What are these fibers that direct the lightnings path? If energy, what kind of energy?

You have these storm clouds, which are electrically polarized (negatively charged at one end and positively charged at the other). Initially the air surrounding the clouds acts as an electrical insulator, preventing the charges from being transferred between clouds. When the insulation breaks down, discharge takes place. Electrons from one cloud start moving towards the positively charged end of another cloud, creating a path along which more electrons can travel. The first group of electrons travel at a rate of around 200 kilometres per second, but once a conduction path has been established, charges can travel between the clouds at more than 100*000 kilometres per second.

The fibres your teacher mentioned are most probably these conduction paths between clouds. They will most likely be “paths of least resistance�.

Originally Posted by JaneBennet

You have these storm clouds, which are electrically polarized (negatively charged at one end and positively charged at the other). Initially the air surrounding the clouds acts as an electrical insulator, preventing the charges from being transferred between clouds. When the insulation breaks down, discharge takes place. Electrons from one cloud start moving towards the positively charged end of another cloud, creating a path along which more electrons can travel. The first group of electrons travel at a rate of around 200 kilometres per second, but once a conduction path has been established, charges can travel between the clouds at more than 100Â*000 kilometres per second.

The fibres your teacher mentioned are most probably these conduction paths between clouds. They will most likely be “paths of least resistance�.

Thanks.

a follow-up question: what determines whether lightning is likely to hit the ground rather than another cloud? Does the altitude of the clouds play a major role here, or is it mostly the humidity of the air?

Originally Posted by Pendragon

a follow-up question: what determines whether lightning is likely to hit the ground rather than another cloud? Does the altitude of the clouds play a major role here, or is it mostly the humidity of the air?

It takes the least resistant path. If it is at higher altitudes it is much more likely to go to another cloud just because of the fact the ground is much further away than another cloud. If it is at a lower altitude and by a conductor like a lightning rod, that is a conducter and therefore a less resistant path compared to other clouds, so it should go to the lightning rod. That's probably why they say rubber is good to be around if there is lightning, because rubber has a high resistance. This is all basicaly a guess, lol, if Im wrong correct me.

And while on the subject of lightening...

What causes 'ball lightening' to occur?

This is the simplest answer, although there are more to be found after a couple of minutes on Google.

Most of them agree with the widely accepted theory that it is simply burning Silicon.

Thanks Lawrence, that clears things up.