Question

What is the principle involved in lightning and thunder?

Answer 1

Lightning and thunder are the result of electric discharge. During the development of a thunderstorm, the air currents move upward while the water droplets downward. These vigorous movements cause separation of charges by a process, not yet completely understood. The positive charge collects near the upper edges of the clouds and the negative charge accumulates near the lower edges. When the magnitude of the accumulated charges becomes very large, the air is no longer able to resist their flow. Negative and positive charges meet, producing streaks of bright light (lightning) and sound (thunder). This process is called an electric discharge. The process of electric discharge occurs between two or more clouds or between clouds and Earth.