Explanation of Lightning and Thunder to Everybody
Forward: In this article I explain the meaning of lightning and thunder to the understanding of everybody.
By: Chrysanthus Date Published: 1 Sep 2012
Introduction
Prerequisite
If you are not an electrician or electrical engineer, then read the following articles first in the order given:
- Electricity Basics and Explanation of Shock
- Alternating Current Basics and Explanation of Shock
- Explanation of Electrical Short Circuit
To arrive at any of the articles, just search the web.
Lightning
You must have seen visible current before. If you go to where electrical technicians are working, you might see sparks. You might also have seen sparks in your house from some equipment or wires of the wiring house system. Such a spark is visible current; it is not really fire; however it can still cause burning. In an electrical environment, a spark would occur when two conductors or points of high difference is voltage potential are brought close together. In other words, the resistance offered by air is overcome because of the high difference in potential. So current jumps from the high potential point to the low potential point. The high difference in potential may be caused by an error in circuiting as the people are working or an error that just results naturally in a circuit. In some situations, a fuse may blow or lights (current supply) to the building may go off.
Lightning is also a long visible current and usually occurs when it is raining. In this case a very great difference in potential occurs from a point (or small area) in the sky and the ground. This difference in potential us extremely great to cover that distance. And so a surge of current, for a reasonably short duration moves from the point in the sky to the ground. The difference in potential does not last for long, so the lightning or its current does not last for long.
Note: Lightning current through a human or animal is an extreme electrical shock.
Thunder
When lightning occurs it makes noise. Note that a spark also makes noise. However, that from the lightning is heavier and much louder. Now, light travels faster than sound. So you see the lightning first before you hear the sound caused by the lightning. That is, the light from the lightning reaches your eyes first before the sound reaches your ears. The sound caused by the lightning is thunder. The sound is usually not harmful, even if you are near (but not under) the flow of the lightning (electric current).
Prevention of the House against Lightning
If you go to areas where lightning (and resulting thunder) is frequent, you may see at the top of some houses, a small long metal with a sharp end pointing upward. From the metal, another flexible metal connected to it runs downward over the roof, by the side of the house, to the ground.
Now, current (electrons) tend to accumulate near sharp edges or points, of the conductor. This is why the metal has a sharp end pointing upward, so that if lightning (current) is coming (it comes very fast) over the roof it should concentrate at the tip of the metal and be conducted through the metal and by the flexible metal to the ground. In that way, the occupants and items in the house should be safe from high electric shock, from the lightning current.
That is what I had installed for you for this article.