Lightning is caused due to discharge of oppositely charged clouds. Give reason.

Open in App

Solution

Lightning is an electric current. Within a thundercloud way up in the sky, many small bits of ice (frozen raindrops) bump into each other as they move around in the air. All of those collisions create an electric charge. After a while, the whole cloud fills up with electrical charges. The positive charges or protons form at the top of the cloud and the negative charges or electrons form at the bottom of the cloud. Since opposites attract, that causes a positive charge to build up on the ground beneath the cloud. The grounds electrical charge concentrates around anything that sticks up, such as mountains, people, or single trees. The charge coming up from these points eventually connects with a charge reaching down from the clouds and lightning strikes.
Therefore, Lightning is caused due to discharge of oppositely charged clouds.

Suggest Corrections

Similar questions

State whether true or false :

Lightning is caused due to discharge between similarly charged clouds.

Consider the following statements:
I. Lightning occurs between the Earth and the clouds
II. Lightning occurs between the same clouds
III. Lightning occurs due to the discharge between charged clouds and the Earth
Among the given statements,

Charges imbalance in clouds causes a lightning strike.

Q. Oppositely charged clouds, coming closer to each other, cause:

Q. State whether the given statement is True or False :

Lightning conductor always develops the opposite charges as is the charge in the clouds.

Join BYJU'S Learning Program