lightning Vocab

Front

What is lightning?

Back

A natural electrical discharge of very short duration and high voltage between a cloud and the ground or within a cloud.

Front

What happens to electrons during a lightning strike?

Back

Electrons move rapidly and separate from their atoms, creating a charge imbalance.

Front

What is a positive charge?

Back

A condition where an object has more protons than electrons.

Front

What is a negative charge?

Back

A condition where an object has more electrons than protons.

Front

What does it mean to have a neutral charge?

Back

An object has the same number of protons and electrons.

Front

What is polarization in the context of charged ions?

Back

The distortion of a negatively charged ion's electron cloud by a positively charged ion.

Front

What is an ion?

Back

An atom or molecule that has a net electrical charge due to the loss or gain of one or more electrons.

Front

What is the role of air temperature in lightning formation?

Back

The temperature of air molecules increases rapidly, contributing to the movement of electrons.

Front

What is the significance of cloud density in lightning?

Back

The density of the cloud can affect the likelihood of lightning strikes.

Front

How do clouds become charged?

Back

Through the movement and collision of particles within the cloud, leading to the separation of charges.