Covers the study of lightning, which is the electrical arc caused by the discharge of electrical charge that has built up between clouds and the ground or other clouds. Although lightning commonly refers to large-scale naturally occurring electrical discharges in the atmosphere, similar electrical arcs can be produced in the laboratory and may be relevant to this topic. Other electrical phenomena in the atmosphere, such as red sprites, elves, blue jets and ball lightning may be related enough for inclusion in lightning discussions.
Questions tagged [lightning]
259 questions
43
votes
5 answers
Without seeing the lightning, can you tell how far away it struck by how the thunder sounds?
Is there any way to tell how far away a lightning strike is by how its thunder sounds? I thought one way might be by using the fact that higher frequencies travel faster than lower frequencies. Would you have to correct for the fact that thunder may…
user48301
- 531
39
votes
1 answer
Can lightning be used to solve NP-complete problems?
I'm a MS/BS computer science guy who is wondering about why lightning can't (or can?) be used to solve NP complete problems efficiently, but I don't understand the physics behind lightning, so I'm posting here.
What seems peculiar to me about…
micahhoover
- 525
31
votes
4 answers
How thick in diameter is the average lightning bolt visually?
Note that I’m talking about the visual aspect of a lightning bolt: normal lightning bolts, according to a simple Google search, are only about an inch (3 cm) in diameter, but they appear much bigger from a distance thanks to the light they emit.…
Godzilla Louise
- 415
30
votes
6 answers
Lightning strikes the Ocean I'm swimming in - what happens?
I'm swimming in the ocean and there's a thunderstorm. Lightning bolts hit ships around me. Should I get out of the water?
scrrr
- 463
30
votes
4 answers
What causes the direction of lightning flashes?
During a lightning strike, the flashes appear as cloud to ground or cloud to cloud. Why is this the only manner of propagation? Why do the flashes not go upwards from the clouds into the sky?
Maan
- 1,784
27
votes
2 answers
Why is the color of lightning white or blue rather than nothing?
According to my knowledge, when clouds get charged, they produce sparks, which look like lightning to us. My question is, why does lightning have a color? It consists of electrons, and should not radiate light. If it radiates light after hitting air…
Prabhat
- 672
27
votes
3 answers
Why is the shape of lightning or an electric spark a zig-zag line?
Why is the shape of the lightning (or an electric spark) always of a zig-zag nature? Why is it never just a straight line?
Image source.
laggingreflex
- 862
25
votes
4 answers
If air cannot conduct electricity, how can lightning happen?
If air cannot conduct electricity, how can lightning happen?
hemazy percy
- 277
24
votes
7 answers
Does a tower bell ringing prevent thunderstorms?
Introduction
This is the beginning of an apparently physics-unrelated question which involves 1700-1800 Italian law, atmospheric processes, sound waves propagating through fluids, and lightning strikes burning down churches.
The core of the question…
Torcione
- 359
- 3
- 6
24
votes
4 answers
Why is lightning more rare during snow storms than rain storms?
Lightning and thunder during a snow storm is uncommon. As far as I know, more uncommon than during a typical rain storm. Why is this? I speculate it might be one, or both, of the following two ideas, one having to do with a change in the…
kηives
- 3,400
24
votes
1 answer
Is it possible to overload a lightning rod?
A couple of weeks ago we had a big storm roll through the Chicago area. I watched as the city's skyscrapers were struck multiple times by lightning throughout the night and told my coworker about it the next morning.
That got us both thinking, is…
CraigularB
- 351
23
votes
4 answers
Why does moderately distant lightning sound the way it does: relatively quiet high pitched thunder first, and then much louder low pitched thunder?
Why does thunder, that is heard about five or ten seconds after the lightning is seen, start as relatively quiet high pitched 'crackling' thunder which is, about five or ten seconds later than that, followed/replaced/drowned out by much louder lower…
22
votes
2 answers
Does a lightning rod prevent lightning strikes?
I was always under the impression that a Lightning rod worked to protect a building by being the tallest part of the building and having a low path of resistance to the ground, thus being a good target for lightning to hit, reducing the chances of…
Josh
- 487
20
votes
3 answers
What determines the shape of lightning?
Everyone's seen lightning streaks, either in real life or in pictures and videos.
My question is, why does it look the way it does? Does lightning spread in a random manner, or is there physics behind the path lightning streaks trace in the…
stoic-santiago
- 1,961
19
votes
4 answers
Does Fire Conduct Electricity? Why?
Recently, I have stumbled upon a YouTube video by Veritasium describing the conductivity of fire. My question is: how exactly does fire conduct electricity? I am a high school student; therefore appropriate language is expected.…
PotatoIn
- 317