Research Paper on Lightning

Introduction
This paper deals with the detailed introduction, causes and process of formation of lightning. Lightning has been a reason for fear, power and myths for ages. Since the days of the belief of Greek mythology, people of all nations have marveled at the beauty and sheer power of bolts of lightning. There are countless references throughout even the earliest periods of time, concerning the amazement, excitement, or fear experienced as a split-second flash lights the sky followed by an earth-shaking rumble that seems to echo forever. (Stock, 1999) Two hundred fifty years after Ben Franklin’s kite incident, with the tremendous advancement of technology most questions about lightning have now been answered.

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Definition and causes
Lightning is the equalizer that recreates a balance of positive and negative electrical charges. As defined in Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary (WNCD, 2002), “lightning is the flashing of light produced by a discharge of atmospheric electricity from one cloud to another or between a cloud and the earth. Lightning, on a very large scale, is similar to the electrical arc produced when a person is charged with static-electricity and comes in contact with a metal object.”

The positive and negative ions are attracted to each other, so when there is enough separation that the insulator (usually air) can no longer keep the charges from moving towards each other, the movement (lightning) towards each other occurs. This process is quite fascinating. An invisible part of the lightning stroke, known as a stepped leader, occurs and this involves the movement of negative charges towards positive charges and the movement of positive charges towards the negative charges. Because the negative charges are thousands of times smaller than the positive charges, there is less resistance in the movement of the negative charges towards the positive, and therefore, the two charges meet much closer to the positive side of the imbalance. As soon as opposite charges meet, there is a conductive path between the two sides. With a conductive path in place, the negative charges rush toward the positive and this cause a return stroke, or the visible stroke of lightning. This return stroke is actually several strokes, causing flickering in a lightning bolt. This return stroke moves towards the positive side, so with a cloud to ground strike; the visible bolt actually travels upward into the cloud.

Effects
Lightning is the leading severe weather killer in the United States and Utah. Thunderstorms are abundant, with nearly sixteen million per year occurring worldwide. This, combined with the need and/or desire for people to be outdoors, proves to be deadly combination. Within the United States, one to two hundred people are killed, approximately five hundred are injured, and millions of dollars in damage occur each year. The odds that a person will be struck by lightning are one in six hundred thousand, but these odds significantly decrease if simple safety rules and guidelines are followed.

Conclusion
Technology is a friend of ours in this case. Since society has advanced greatly in knowledge since a simple experiment was performed with a kite, a wire, and a key several hundred years ago and with abundant information about lightning, thunderstorms, and severe weather at click of a button, the turning of a dial, or the typing of a few keystrokes, we must take advantage by increasing our individual understanding of how to enjoy these beautiful and fascinating weather events without being needlessly injured or killed. (mountainnature.com) Though it is evident that lightning has scientific causes, and we have almost mastered the science to predict and protect people from such disasters as being struck by lightning, it continues to be fascinating and overseen phenomena of nature.

 

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