Question

Explain briefly how lightning occurs

Answer 1

The process of lightning is mentioned different in different standards.
1. Well lightning occurs due to the accumulation of charge particles(electrons) in the air.
2. Now during a storm, the electrical charges tend to develop in clouds.
3. At the same time the opposite occurs on the earth's surface i.e oppositively charged particles develop on the earth's surface at a rapid speed.
4. Now we know that opposite charges attract each other and this is what happens between the clouds and the earth.
5. At some point the attraction becomes large enough to overcome air's resistance to electrical flow, in this case the flow of charges between the ground and the clouds.
6. These particles move toward each other at incredible speeds and when they meet they complete an electrical circuit.
7. Charge from the ground then surges upward at nearly one-third the speed of light and we see a bright flash of lightning.
8. The lightning starts at the ground and moves upward, it is just moving too fast to be able to tell this.
Hence Lightning occurs.