Lightning and Electrical Storms

It is hardly considered that lightning and electric automobile automobileal besets be naturally ocurring events in nature where by we tend to be oblivious rough it. Yet, its self-coloured suit brings to the highest degree changes which may affect us to our advantage or disadvantage.Oftentimes, children ar scargond of the sound of thunder brought about by the blinding sprout of lightning. In ancient times, lightning is associated with the wrath of a higher power as is evident with the Supreme god of Olympus, Zeus and the god of Thunder,Thor. To our ancestors, this is a family that people will be punished for the bad deeds done, cosmos superstitious at that. At present, lightning is associated with powerful mind-created characters often seen on televisions and some flicks.These beliefs though was not proven to exist in reality but these shows only the notion that lightning is indeed powerful. Now, one would ask what lightning is and why is in that respect a need for lightn ing and electric storms to occur? It is not just there as part of natures wonder.What is Lightning?Lightning is an electrical discharge amid two different product lines of charges which is manakined in electrical storms (Learn much About par. 1). It is deemed that lightning has a heat three times greater than that of the lies surface. Usually, it is evident when precipitate clouds atomic number 18 present. Credit on lightning stripping is usually given to Benjamin Franklin with his kite and key experiment during a thunderstorm. This is because he pioneered the first experiment on showing electrical conductance of lightning as opposed to those ahead of him (Lightning par 2,3,4 &5)..However, hoew lightning came about has galore(postnominal) explanations. There atomic number 18 many existing theories on how thunder is formed and which of which is still disputed.How lightning comes aboutLightning is dtermined to be caused by difference in charges but, how it is generated is w hat is still uncertain till present. scientific studies are currently being conducted as to how it is generated. However, theories are proposed on how these charges are accumulated.One is the Polarization Mechanism Theory which states that falling droplets of ice and rain produce charges before they hit the ground through electrostatic induction and some other theory is the Electrostatic Induction Theory which, on the other hand, states that face-to-face charges in clouds are separated by energy between them and contact of charges with ice crystals brings about increasing intensity in charges inside the cloud. This increase intensity will soon find release in the form of lightning (Lightning par. 11 & 12).The process after electrical charges are acquired and in which it should be released is a rather complex one. Usually in a rain coming, a cumulonimbus cloud is what is known as the source of lightning (Lightning par. 2). This flake of cloud possesees a strong electrical charg e and varies in crosswise difference of the cloud. At the base, the charge is strongly damaging while at the top, it is strongly positive. This charges are being separated by an electrical field which is an energy in nature to keep the charges from colliding. The energy in the electric field is directly proportional to the cahrge of the particles between it.As the charges continue to increase in both sides brought about by collision, so is the amount of energy in the electric field. This intense energy causes the repulsion of the charge in the orbs surface by the negative charge of the cloud do the creations surface to gain positive charge.What happens next is that the electric field inside the cloud provides a path for the conductance of charges between the negative charge at the bottom of the cloud and the positive charge of the earths surface. This path is the air in which it is ionized by the strong electric field of the cloud. This process is known as air ionization. This causes about the formation of the fall line wherein the lightning will travel through. Upon completion of the obligatory path, the continuous build up of energy in the cloud causes about the outburst of this energy which travels through the ionized air and the set flux line towards the positive charge. What travels here is what we know as lightning (Zavisa pt 1, 2, 3 &4).On the other hand, the thunder that we know of is the sound formed after a lightning. This is caused about by lightning as it heats and expands the air which produces the sound known as thunder. As we all know, light travels faster than sound reason why we hear thunder late after a lightning (LightningThe Shocking Statistics par. 6).Types of LightningThere are different types of lightning. The most common of which is the Cloud-to-cloud lightning and the other is the cloud-to-ground lightning.Cloud-to-ground lightning is the most dangerous lightning. This is excessively the most destructive to properties. This occ urs when lightning hits the ground or anything on earths surface. Being the most common, it is the most understood type of lightning (About Lightning pt 4).Another is the cloud-to-cloud lightning which is overly known as intra-cloud lightning. Intra-cloud lightning occurs when lightning transfers from cloud to another cloud or deep down the same cloud. This type occurs lesser in frequency than cloud-to-ground (Lightning Detection from dummy page 3).There are many other types of lightning and are named based on optical illusion and appearances. These are ball lightning, heat lightning, bead lightning, instance lightning, black lightning and many others (Lightning Detection from Space page 3).Effects and Damages of LightningLightning, which occurs along with electrical or thunder storms, are light flashes brought about by disturbances among the charges. It is known that lightning replenishes thenitrogen supply in soil in which it hits. solely with its great strength, this poses gr eat danger among individuals.From the span of social class 90 to 92, lightning killed quadruplet people and injured 127 individuals. It averages 80 kills per year in the United States only if (Lightning the Shocking Statistics par. 1).Moreover, lightning kills 55% more(prenominal) people than tornado and 40% more than hurricanes. It causes a loss of 15 20 jillion dollars each year to infrastructures. More so, the US Department of Agriculture reported that lightning causes about 80 % of accidental deaths in livestocks (Dworkin par. 8).People are evidently exposed to the hazards of lightning. Damages to building, infrastructures, tone and wildfires, downed power lines and loss of life are just among its effects (Multihazard hazard spt. A).These also causes airplane disasters as it hits a flying craft. It was reported that in 1963, a plane strucked by lightning near Elkton, MD, killed 38 people. It is also renowned that plane crashes in 1982 in Kenner, Los Angeles, and 1985 in Dallas, Texas was brought about by lightning. The prehistoric decade also took notice of 15,000 fires caused by lightning in the US altogether causing wide property damage and loss of 2 million acres of forests (Multihazard Risk spt. A).ConclusionEvidently destructive by nature, lightning is inescapable. But, there are many precautions which one would be able to take to prevent or play down the losses brought about by lightning strikes. First is to listen to weather forecasts so that one would not be in the open when an electrical storm came. Second is to manage an electrical conductor in houses or if in a car, better stay in the car as it is a good conductor. Next is to stay out of an open field whereyou eould be the tallest object to be hit by lightning. Another is to stay root and stay as low as possible when it is inevitable that electrical storm will come when your outside the safety of your own home. These are few among the possible preventive measures (Protection par. 2) .Presently, experiments on lightning deflectors to be placed on planes are being conducted. Spires are also being improved to be placed on skyscrapers. More so, the prospect of harnessing lightnings power as source of electricity is on its way.Who knows, one day, we would be able to real deflect lightnings disastrous strikes to our advantage.OUTLINE IntroductionWhat is lightningHow it comes aboutTypes of lightningEffects and damages of lightning (stats) especially in st louis missouri us and midwestConclusionReferencesLearn More About Lightning and Thunder. 2007. 30 April 2007 .Lightning. 2005. 30 April 2007 .Zavisa, John. How Lightning Works. 2007. 30 April 2007 .Dworkin, Gerald. emergency brake Procedures During Thunder and Lightning Storms. 23 February 1998. 30 April 2007. .About Lightning. 2007. 30 April 2007. .Multi-Hazard Risk appointment and Assessment. 2007. 30 April 2007. . Lightning The Shocking Statistics. 2007. 30 April 2007 . Lightning Detection From Space. 2007. 01 whitethorn 2007 . Lightning. March 2007. 01 May 2007 . Protection Against Lightning. 2007. 01 May 2007 .