Hobbies And Interests
Lightning Basics
Lightning appears when an electrostatic discharge occurs between a cloud and the ground, between a cloud and another cloud or within a single cloud. According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, an electrical charge builds up within a cloud but the exact reason remains unclear. Common theories hold that particles collide inside a cloud, giving them positive and negative charges. As the particles collide, a storm cloud gathers a negative charge at its base and a positive charge at its top. The greater the negative and positive ends of a cloud grow, the more the charges of these ends attract one another. When the charges peak, they create a current of electricity that forces a path through the air, producing lightning.
Static Electricity
Static electricity similarly occurs as an electrical discharge. When certain materials rub against one another, like certain types of fabric, they transfer electrons, or negative charges. These electrons build up inside one of the rubbed objects until that object come into contact with another material capable of releasing the excess electrons. When released, the excess electrons create a small physical shock and even occasionally a small spark that looks similar to lightning.
Create Lightning: First Method
To observe the way lightning works, perform a science project that creates static electricity. For the first method, gather together rubber gloves, a large iron or steel pot with a plastic or otherwise insulated handle, an iron or steel fork and a plastic sheet. Tape the plastic sheet onto a table or other flat surface. Darken the room and grab the iron pot by its insulated handle while wearing the rubber gloves on both hands. Vigorously rub the pot to and fro across the plastic sheet. Keep the gloves on and hold the fork in your other hand, gradually bringing its prongs toward the rim of the pot. When the pot and fork come close enough together, a small, visible spark should jump from the pot to the fork.
Create Lightning: Second Method
A second method for producing lightning-like static electricity involves plastic, cloth and metal. For best results, use an inflated balloon, wool cloth and a metal object of reasonable size. Darken the room to see the eventual spark better. Rub the balloon against the cloth a dozen or so times. Finally, gradually move the balloon near the metal surface and watch for a visible spark to leap from the balloon to the metal as the two draw near.