Electrostatics of Lightning
Physics between Lightning Bolts
Lightning
The lighting bolt starts up in the clouds. Part of the cloud is charged positively while the other part is charged negatively. Sooner or later, the changes spread out so that the bottom of the cloud is now fully negative while the top is now fully positive. If the charges distinctively separate and become very great, the charges might swap around to each side of the cloud which will eventually cause the lighting sheet or bolt to touch the ground.
Now since the negative charges were at the bottom of the cloud, it pushes down the negative charges of the ground (since opposites attract) , making the ground positive. The bolt is negatively charged so it gets attracted to the positive ground, while being repelled from the negative cloud. When the positively charged bolt repels from the ground, it gets attracted to the negatively charged bolt. Lighting occurs when both streams meet. The electrons move so fast and the air is so hot that the bright light and loud thunder gets created.
Intersting Fact
One
Electrons and protons separating.
Two
Electrons leaving the ground and clouds.
Three
Electrons coming together and forming a bright lightning bolt.
Additional Information
Interesting Fact
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipAemhMEKwE>.
Sources
Witze, Alexandra. "Like a Bolt From Above." Vol. 180. 2011. Canadian Points of View Reference Centre. Web. 1 Jan. <http://bb.hts.on.ca/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_101_1%26url%3D>
Science Explains Lightning . Web. 13 Feb. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipAemhMEKwE>.
Wagon, Joy. Lightning Physics. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. <http://regentsprep.org/regents/physics/phys03/alightnin/>.
Maybank, J.. "Lightning." Vol. . The Canadian Encyclopedia . Web. 13 Feb. 2013. <http://bb.hts.on.ca/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_101_1%26url%3D>
Wagon, Joy. "Lightning." The Physics Classroom. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. <http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/estatics/u8l4e.cfm>.