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Facts about lightning and thunderstorms. How lightning works.BY: Jessica | Category: Education | Post Date: 2008-09-21
Lightning and thunderstorms have always fascinated me and even though these bright flashes of lights may seem just amazing, there are a lot of interesting facts hidden behind them. All thunderstorms are actually dangerous. In a cloud to ground lightning energy tries to follow the shortest route to earth. Most tall buildings are equipped with a "lightning rod" or "lightning conductor" to protect them from destruction by lightning. What causes lightning ? Lightning is caused due to discharge of electricity in the atmosphere. Lightning typically happens during thunderstorms but they can be caused even in violent forest fires, large volcanic eruptions, heavy snowstorms and dust storms. There are several factors involved to create appropriate conditions for lightning, they include wind, atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity and friction. Eventually it results in the separation of positive and negative charges within the cloud which usually causes the lightning to start. The upper portion of the cloud is positive and the lower portion is negative. Why do we hear the sound of thunder after we see lightening flash? Thunder is a result of the shock wave created due to heating. Even though you will see the lightening strike instantaneously but the sound of thunder comes after a while because of the slower speed of sound through he air. Some safety measures: Taller objects have a greater probability of getting a lightening strike but there is no way to predict the strike path. Standing under a tall tree is one of the most dangerous place. People near or in the water are also at a great risk during thunderstorms because water is a good conductor of electricity. Avoid talking on land line telephone during a thunderstorm. Also it is recommended to stay away from windows and doors. Avoid contact with electrical equipment and plumbing during a lightning storm. Although most lightning victims survive (unless it passes though the heart or spinal column), but people struck by lightning often report long-term symptoms. Lightning can strike as far as 10 miles from area where it is raining. How hot is lightning ? It is about 30,000 °C hot and and can travel at a speed of 60 Km per second. This means lightning is more than five times hotter than the surface of sun. It can also heats nearby air to about 10,000 °C. How many volts are there in a lightening? Lightening discharges electricity of about 10 to 100 million volts. Other interesting facts about lightning: * Chances of being struck by lightning are estimated to be 1 in 600,000. * Lightning strikes somewhere on the surface of the earth about 100 times every second. (Src: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lightning/) * Early Greeks believed that lightning was a weapon of Zeus. * In Hindu religion, Indra was the god of heaven, lightning, rain, storms and thunder. * Scandinavian mythology alludes to Thor, the thunderer, who was the foe of all demons. (Src: http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov) Article Source: http://www.saching.com About Author / Additional Info: Additional Articles: * Advantages of home based business for women * Environmental ethics: From unsustainable to sustainable development * Reservation in Indian colleges: Effects of caste based reservation * How to get Six Pack Abs quickly * The use of Yoga in health and healing Does this article violate or infringe on your copyright ? It is a violation of our terms for authors to submit content which they did not write and claim it as their own. If this article infringes on your copyrights, then use our Contact us form with the detailed proof of infringement along with the offending article's title, URL and writer name. If you do not hear back from us then contact us again in another 10 days. Thank you. Comments on this article: (0 comments so far) * Additional comments are now closed for this article *
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