
Lightning | Voltage, Causes, & Facts | Britannica
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 …
How Lightning is Created - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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 …
Lightning - Wikipedia
The most direct effects of lightning on humans occur as a result of cloud-to-ground lightning, even though intra-cloud and cloud-to-cloud are more common. Intra-cloud and cloud-to-cloud …
Understanding Lightning Science - National Weather Service
Lightning can occur between opposite charges within the thunderstorm cloud (Intra Cloud Lightning) or between opposite charges in the cloud and on the ground (Cloud-To-Ground …
Lightning explained — Science Learning Hub
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 …
Thunder and Lightning - Center for Science Education
Lightning happens when the negative charges (electrons) in the bottom of the cloud are attracted to the positive charges (protons) in the ground. The accumulation of electric charges must be …
Understanding Lightning: How It Happens and Why It Matters
Feb 4, 2025 · But how does it happen, and what can we learn from it? This blog will break down the science behind lightning, its types, and how humans use knowledge of this natural …
Lightning facts and information | National Geographic
Oct 9, 2009 · Here’s everything you need to know about lightning, from how it forms to common myths and how to stay safe.
Why Lightning Strikes: The Science of Lightning Formation and …
Nov 12, 2025 · Lightning forms when static electricity builds in storm clouds, causing powerful discharges that reveal the electrifying science behind thunderstorms.
Physics Tutorial: Lightning
But as the electric field becomes strong enough, the normally insulating air is transformed into a conductive plasma and the cloud discharges itself to the Earth through a lightning strike.