BETA
Chapter 1
The battle for the crown
Chapter 2
The physics of a flash
Chapter 3
Tracking the flash
Chapter 4
Thunder, heat, and safety
YOUR GOAL
Master of The lightning capital of the United States
Ch 2 · The physics of a flash
futura The bright lightning bolt we see is actually electricity racing from the ground back up to the cloud.
futura Before you see a bright flash, an invisible stream of electricity steps down from the cloud.
Fun Fact
Superheated air: A single bolt of lightning can heat the air around it to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is five times hotter than the surface of the Sun.
Gossip
Which part of a lightning strike sounds the most scientifically mind-blowing to you?
Quiz
What physical process inside a storm cloud causes the separation of electrical charges?
Quiz
Which part of a lightning strike is the brilliant, visible flash that we actually see?
Quiz
What is the name of the invisible, downward-moving stream of electrons that initiates a lightning strike?
Quiz
Approximately what percentage of global lightning is in-cloud lightning that never touches the ground?
Quiz
What upward-reaching electrical charge from the ground meets the downward step leader to complete the lightning circuit?