What cause's lightning? By Nicholas
Find out how hot it can be and how fast it can strike
How a lightning bolt is made
An electric change happens when big clouds appear above the earth inside the cloud fast moving hot and cold air masses cause violent activity air currents rise, rain drops fall, and water freezes. Some of those water droplets get charged with positive energy and the air current brings the water droplets up to the upper part of the cloud and they make a positive charge center in the cloud. Now the frozen water drops they are formed with a negative charge they use there weight to be carried to the base of the cloud and make a negative charge center. Now for the cloud to balance the weight of the negative and positive charge the cloud is concentrated on the ground below as the cloud formation continues the two charges increase the strength since different charges attract. Each charge makes a strong electrical potential or a pressure to make a bridge with an air gap from the cloud to the ground. Then the step leader follows the ionized path of air the step leader touches the earth and that is what creates the flash of light we see.