How does lightning work?
By Cavalier Daily Staff | April 25, 2002With the approach of summer, the great outdoors transformsinto a playground for the physically active among us. But for those failing to exercise caution, there is one summertime phenomenon that can spoil the fun in a flash - lightning, of course. Lightning begins with storm clouds, which acquire an electrical charge in ways still unclear to scientists. The important thing is that the top of the cloud is positively charged while the bottom is negatively charged, creating a strong electrical field that repels electrons at the earth's surface deeper into the ground. As the electrons are pushed further and further away, the Earth's surface acquires a strong positive charge. Because of the strong electric field in the cloud, the air around it "breaks down," or separates into positive ions and electrons. The breakdown increases the distance between the electrons and ions, giving the electrons more freedom to move.
