Post by rommel323 on Jun 2, 2021 5:41:11 GMT
The phenomenon of lightning is a common occurence. Every second, there are 44 strikes anywhere around the world, every second. The phenomenon of lightning is caused by rubbing of clouds together. When two things, not only clouds, rub together, they produce a charge Lightning produces a negative charge, whereas the Earth, has a negative charge. We know that opposite attract. Hence the acquired energy immediately rushes to the ground, in the form of a lightning.
Here are some interesting facts on lightning
1. When lightning strikes sand or sandy soil, it fuses together the grains to create a small glass-like tube known as a fulgurite. They are not only prized by collectors, they are also of great scientific value in demonstrating past occurrence of lightning storms.
2. Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela is the place on Earth that receives the most lightning strikes. Massive thunderstorms occur on 140-160 nights per year with an average of 28 lightning strikes per minute lasting up to 10 hours at a time.
That's as many as 40,000 lightning strikes in one night!
3. Trees can often be destroyed by lightning strikes. When lightning hits a tree, it usually travels just below the tree's bark where there is a layer of sap and water.
This layer becomes instantly heated and expands causing the bark to be blasted off the tree and sometimes splitting the wood.
4. While the intensity of a lightning strike can make them appear as thick bolts across the sky, the actual width of a lightning bolt is only about 2-3 cm. The average length of a lightning bolt is about 2-3 miles.
The charge carried down this small channel is so intense that the temperature of the lightning reaches 30,000 °C - that's five times hotter than the surface of the Sun.
5. To tell how far away a thunderstorm is, simply count the number of seconds between the flash of lightning and the boom of thunder that follows. Divide this number by five and this tells you how many miles away you are from the storm (or divide by three for the distance in kilometres).
Credits - metoffice.gov.uk
Here are some interesting facts on lightning
1. When lightning strikes sand or sandy soil, it fuses together the grains to create a small glass-like tube known as a fulgurite. They are not only prized by collectors, they are also of great scientific value in demonstrating past occurrence of lightning storms.
2. Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela is the place on Earth that receives the most lightning strikes. Massive thunderstorms occur on 140-160 nights per year with an average of 28 lightning strikes per minute lasting up to 10 hours at a time.
That's as many as 40,000 lightning strikes in one night!
3. Trees can often be destroyed by lightning strikes. When lightning hits a tree, it usually travels just below the tree's bark where there is a layer of sap and water.
This layer becomes instantly heated and expands causing the bark to be blasted off the tree and sometimes splitting the wood.
4. While the intensity of a lightning strike can make them appear as thick bolts across the sky, the actual width of a lightning bolt is only about 2-3 cm. The average length of a lightning bolt is about 2-3 miles.
The charge carried down this small channel is so intense that the temperature of the lightning reaches 30,000 °C - that's five times hotter than the surface of the Sun.
5. To tell how far away a thunderstorm is, simply count the number of seconds between the flash of lightning and the boom of thunder that follows. Divide this number by five and this tells you how many miles away you are from the storm (or divide by three for the distance in kilometres).
Credits - metoffice.gov.uk
