What Is Lightning?
A giant electrical spark inside a cloud or between a cloud and the ground, heating the air to about 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit and causing thunder. In technical terms: A transient, high-current electrical discharge several kilometers long produced by charge separation in convective clouds, mainly via graupel-ice collisions in the mixed-phase region; the return-stroke channel reaches roughly 30,000 K, and rapid expansion produces thunder.
Lightning In Plain English
A giant electrical spark inside a cloud or between a cloud and the ground, heating the air to about 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit and causing thunder.
The Technical Definition
A transient, high-current electrical discharge several kilometers long produced by charge separation in convective clouds, mainly via graupel-ice collisions in the mixed-phase region; the return-stroke channel reaches roughly 30,000 K, and rapid expansion produces thunder.
Lessons That Use Lightning
- How Lightning Works Unit 7: Thunderstorms And Lightning
- Lightning Safety Unit 7: Thunderstorms And Lightning
- The GOES Satellites And Lightning From Space Unit 13: Weather Satellites
