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jobyts
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What happens to the electrons in the lightning after they hit the Earth soil? After these so many lightning hits the earth, won't there be excess of electrons in the earth? How do these electrons escape from the earth?
cesiumfrog said:How the cloud acquires this charge is still not agreed upon within the scientific community".
It usually does - lightning strikes within clouds are much more common than strikes to earth, especially at high altitude. But because they are inside the cloud you don't always see them, when you do it's called sheet lightning because it lights up the entire cloud like a white sheet.jobyts said:1. When the lightning start from the lower portion of the cloud, why can't it traverse to the upper portion of the cloud (instead of to the earth) which is geographically much closer than the Earth's surface.
When something gets a charge it is only a tiny fraction of the atoms that are affected. There are an awfull lot of atoms in the Earth - so a few extra electrons in a small area under a lightning strike can easily be absorbed.But what happens to the old electrons in the Earth's surface, that were repelled by the cloud's negative charges?
If there was anything oppositely charged outside Earth and near enough - yes. The trouble is that vacuum is a rather good insulator.Shouldn't these excess electrons create a lightning from Earth to outside of earth?
This is the case with Venus. The lightning strikes never hit the Venusian surface. Instead there is cloud-to-cloud lightning which is weaker than terrestrial lightening. Remember that the atmosphere of Venus is extremely dense when compared to the earth.1. When the lightning start from the lower portion of the cloud, why can't it traverse to the upper portion of the cloud (instead of to the earth) which is geographically much closer than the Earth's surface.
jobyts said:3. Lightning happened, the electrons from the lower cloud got discharged to the earth. But what happens to the positive charges in the upper part of the cloud?
Lightning is caused by the buildup and discharge of static electricity in the atmosphere. As clouds move and rub against each other, they create areas of positive and negative charges. When the difference in charges becomes too great, lightning occurs to balance out the charges.
Yes, lightning can be very dangerous. It can reach temperatures of up to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit and carry millions of volts of electricity. It can cause fires, damage buildings, and harm living beings. It is important to take precautions during thunderstorms to stay safe.
On average, lightning strikes the earth 100 times per second, or 8.6 million times per day. However, this number varies depending on location and time of year. Some areas, like the mountains, experience more lightning strikes than others.
The most common types of lightning are cloud-to-ground lightning, intra-cloud lightning, and cloud-to-cloud lightning. Cloud-to-ground lightning is the most well-known and occurs when a bolt of lightning travels from a cloud to the ground. Intra-cloud lightning occurs within a single cloud, and cloud-to-cloud lightning occurs between two different clouds.
It is difficult to predict exactly when and where lightning will strike. However, meteorologists can use advanced technology to track thunderstorms and determine the likelihood of lightning in a certain area. It is important to listen to weather warnings and take precautions during thunderstorms to stay safe.