Weather Things: Lightning Properties

The video explains lightning as a massive electrical spark that creates thunder. It describes how lightning occurs due to charge separation in thunderstorms, leading to various types of lightning such as cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground. The video also covers the sound of thunder, its dependence on various factors, and the process of lightning discharge. It highlights the dangers of lightning strikes, especially cloud-to-ground strikes, and explains the formation of fulgurites when lightning strikes sand.

What is the primary purpose of lightning in the Earth's atmosphere?

• To create thunder

• To balance the electric field

• To produce rain

• To generate wind

Why might you not hear thunder even if you see lightning?

• The lightning is cloud-to-cloud

• The thunderstorm is too far away

• The wind is blowing towards the storm

• The lightning is too weak

What is a 'bolt from the blue'?

• Lightning that strikes from a clear sky

• Lightning that travels from cloud to cloud

• Lightning that creates a loud thunder

• Lightning that is very bright

What happens when a streamer meets the charge in a lightning strike?

• The lightning becomes invisible

• The circuit is completed

• The lightning dissipates

• The lightning changes direction

What is a return stroke in the context of lightning?

• The sound of thunder

• The visible flash of lightning

• The upward flow of current

• The initial downward charge

What is a fulgurite?

• A type of lightning that strikes the ground

• A glass tube formed by lightning striking sand

• A sound produced by lightning

• A type of cloud formation

How does lightning affect metal objects?

• It has no effect on them

• It can send current along the metal

• It causes them to rust

• It melts them completely