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Asked by ledw to Christina, Colin, Jess, Samaneh, Steve on 18 Jun 2013.
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Christina Pagel answered on 18 Jun 2013:
that’s really complicated! somehow (and i don’t think scientists really know exactly how) during a thunderstorm different charges build up in clouds… eventually so much charge has built up (ie a lot of electrical energy) that it causes an electric current to spark – this electric current through the air is lightning. It has so much energy and is so hot that it super heats the air around it, causing a shock wave and this is the sound of thunder. Because light travels faster than sound we see the lightning before we hear the thunder…
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Jess Bean answered on 19 Jun 2013:
Nice answer Cristina! In fact I think scientists do know how the charge builds up! High up in rainclouds its actually really cold so rain drops turn into tiny bits of ice. In a thunderstorm these bits of ice bump into each other – every time they bump they create a little bit of electricity. This electricity builds and builds until eventually it all needs to be released. Lightening comes to earth because lightening has a negative charge and the earth has a positive charge, so it’s attracted to it.
Comments
Christina commented on :
Thanks for clearing up that bit Jess!