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Fran
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CoachOne way to understand it is to look at a crack in the sidewalk (or perhaps a cracker) and compare that shape to the path of a lightning stroke through the sky. Lightning usually originates at altitudes of around ten miles, and can reach about that far horizontally. Air does not conduct electricity until it is broken down ('ionized') by a high voltage electric field. This breakdown is a random, unpredictable process that proceeds in a series of steps between the sky and the earth.
Lightning basically tries to find the path of least resistance as it travels down to the ground. But this is not always a straight line because air is not a perfect mixture. There are fluctuations in temperature, humidity, pollutants, dust particles, etc. in the air, and so the resistance varies. The path it chooses doesn’t have to be a straight line (remember, a straight line means ‘the least distance’ and not ‘the least resistance’). In fact, you will never see a straight bolt of lightning, at least not in the real world. Does Lightning Travel Up or Down?
lightning is basically tries to find a path with least resistance as it travels down to the ground
Air is actually not a good conductor and hence when lightning strikes, it will try to take a path through ions or water droplets in the air. Hence, lightning doesn't strike straight down as ions and water molecules don't line up in a straight line in the air.
Air is actually not a good conductor and hence when lightning strikes, it will try to take a path through ions or water droplets in the air. Hence, lightning doesn't strike straight down as ions and water molecules don't line up in a straight line in the air.
Lightning basically tries to find the path of least resistance as it travels down to the ground. But this is not always a straight line because air is not a perfect mixture. There are fluctuations in temperature, humidity, pollutants, dust particles, etc. in the air, and so the resistance varies.
Lighting is an electric current. It's a flow of electrons that's about a thousand times stronger than the current in our houses.
Lightning basically tries to find the path of least resistance as it travels down to the ground.
But this is not always a straight line because air is not a perfect mixture.
There are fluctuations in temperature, humidity, pollutants, dust particles, etc. in the air, and so the resistance varies.
As a result, lightning strikes are often observed in a zigzag pattern.
Lightning basically tries to find the path of least resistance as it travels down to the ground. But this is not always a straight line because air is not a perfect mixture. There are fluctuations in temperature, humidity, pollutants, dust particles, etc. in the air, and so the resistance varies.
The current goes through the line with the least resistance, not the straightest line. During a thunderstorm, electric current is released from the air to the ground, passing through the complicated troposphere on the way, and the path of least resistance in the air due to air pressure or other impurities cannot be a straight line.
Why are lightning bolts jagged and uneven rather than straight?
Lightning bolts are jagged and uneven due to the chaotic paths they follow during their discharge of electricity from clouds to the ground. The electric charge encounters obstacles and varying levels of resistance in the atmosphere, resulting in the zigzag pattern seen in lightning strikes.
When lightning appears as small bursts in a dotted line what it is called?
A+ Beaded Lightning
When lightning appears as small bursts in a dotted line it is called?
When lightning appears as small bursts in a dotted line, it is called sheet lightning. This type of lightning is caused by distant lightning flashes reflecting off clouds or atmospheric particles, creating a diffuse illumination in the sky.
When lightning appears as more than one line it is called?
When lightning appears as more than one line, it is called forked lightning. This occurs when the electrical discharge in the atmosphere branches out into multiple paths as it travels from the cloud to the ground. Forked lightning can create a striking visual display during a thunderstorm.
What would the speed of lightning be if it didn't zig zag?
The speed of lightning is the speed of light, which is about 299,792 kilometers per second (186,282 miles per second) in a vacuum. If lightning traveled in a straight line instead of zigzagging, it would still move at the speed of light.
