Earth as a Capacitor: Lightning & Rain

  • Context: High School 
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    Capacitor Earth
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the phenomenon of lightning and its relationship with rain, specifically focusing on the charging of clouds and the ground. Participants express curiosity about the underlying processes and mechanisms involved in this electrical discharge phenomenon.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that the difference in charge between clouds and the ground leads to lightning, particularly in the context of rain.
  • Another participant explains that clouds become charged through interactions with one another, drawing an analogy to static electricity generated by rubbing materials together.
  • A third participant recommends a book on lightning for further reading, indicating a desire for more structured information on the topic.
  • A later reply encourages the original poster to engage in self-directed learning and to ask specific questions to facilitate more targeted assistance.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying levels of curiosity and approaches to learning about the topic, but there is no consensus on the specific processes or mechanisms involved in lightning formation.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the nature of electrical charge and its effects on weather phenomena may not be fully articulated, and the discussion does not resolve the complexities of the topic.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in meteorology, atmospheric physics, or electrical phenomena may find this discussion relevant.

shivakumar06
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dear sir
the charge on clouds and ground can be different and this causes lightning due rain only. i want to know more about the process that causes it
 
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Clouds become charged by rubbing against one another, not unlike rubbing a glass rod with a silk cloth. When the charge becomes sufficiently disparate you can have cloud to cloud, or cloud to ground electrical discharges [i.e., lightning].
 
shivakumar06 said:
dear sir
the charge on clouds and ground can be different and this causes lightning due rain only. i want to know more about the process that causes it

Go ahead and read All About Lightning, by Martin Uman. Only $6.95 from Dover.
 
shivakumar, you "want to know" all about all kinds of neat subjects. So do we all.

That's a healthy curiosity, and good to see, however the subjects tend to get quite big so it is difficult to know how best to help you.

The way to get best value from these forums is to read about the subjects oneself and then ask questions about it where you get stuck. The questions are a way we can narrow down our replies to things that will be helpful.
 

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