Answer to Question #184331 in Physics for mine

Question

1.what is lightning?

2.how are thunderclouds capable of producing the impressive electrical discharges that we see?

3.what happens in an electrical storm?

Answer 1

1) Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electrically charged regions in the atmosphere or ground temporarily equalize themselves, causing the instantaneous release of as much as one gigajoule of energy.

2) When the electrical charges become sufficiently separated in a thundercloud, with some regions acquiring a negative charge and others a positive, a discharge of lightning becomes likely. About one-third of lightning flashes travel from the cloud to the ground; most of these originate in negatively charged regions of the cloud.

3)  In an electrical storm, the storm clouds are charged like giant capacitors in the sky.