Apr 5, 2023 · However, exactly how lightning forms has never been verified, so there is room for debate. Leading theories focus around separation of electric charge and generation of an electric field within …

Dec 11, 2025 · Lightning, the visible discharge of electricity that occurs when a region of a cloud acquires an excess electrical charge, either positive or negative, sufficient to break down the …

The best-studied and understood form of lightning is cloud to ground (CG) lightning. Although more common, intra-cloud (IC) and cloud-to-cloud (CC) flashes are difficult to study because there are no …

Thunder When lightning passes through the air, it heats the air very rapidly and causes it to expand. Immediately after the flash, the air cools and contracts quickly. This rapid expansion and contraction …

Lightning is the most spectacular element of a thunderstorm. Learn how lightning forms, how lightning leads to thunder, and about the types of lightning that occur.

Scientists also agree that a developing storm must produce ice for it to form lightning. The turbulent wind environment of a thunderstorm with its updrafts and downdrafts is an ideal environment to separate …

Feb 4, 2025 · Lightning is essentially a giant spark of electricity. It occurs during thunderstorms when different charges build up in the atmosphere. Here's how it works:

Nov 12, 2025 · Lightning forms when static electricity builds in storm clouds, causing powerful discharges that reveal the electrifying science behind thunderstorms.

Lightning is produced as a result of charge separation within the atmosphere. Lightning (a spark discharge between centres of positive and negative charge) can occur within clouds, between clouds …

Nov 23, 2025 · Far from a simple spark, its formation involves an intricate series of steps, turning everyday atmospheric components into one of Earth’s most spectacular and dangerous displays. …