By: Alexandria Cortamilia, Donald Carter, Trinity Salisbury, Zachary Poueriet

LIGHTNING

RESEARCH QUESTION• Is the probability of being hit "Struck" by lightning from a day-time thunderstorms

greater that night-time thunderstorm?

ABSTRACT!!!!

• Lightning storms can be a very spectacular sight to see especially at night. No matter how many times you have witnessed these illuminated rods eliciting from the cloud ceiling, all thunderstorms has some unique characteristics about them that draw thousands to view their awesome spectacular majesty. However, “being struck by lightning can be a very devastating experience. Lightning is a very deadly type of energy.” About Four Hundred Thirty-One (431) people died through out all of the United States of America because of these “positive & negative” charges. This all happened between 1998- 2008. Excerpt taken from an interview by ( Trinity S. et. al)

WHAT IS LIGHTNING?

• According to S.E. Smith, (2011) "Lightning is a discharge of atmospheric electricity which is triggered by a buildup of

• differing charges within a cloud. the result is a sudden release of electricity which cause a distinctive bright flare,

• followed by a thunderclap. Lightning is most common around the equatorial regions of the world, although it can

• potentially strike anywhere, and it appears in a variety of guises, depending on atmospheric conditions" In other words,

• lightning is basically a discharge of electrical energy

.”

WHAT CAUSES LIGHTNING?• Lightning is produced in thunderstorms when liquid and ice

• particles above freezing level collide, and build up large electrical fields in the clouds. Once these electric fields become

• large enough, a giant "spark" occurs between them (or between them and the ground ) like static electricity, reducing

• the charge separation. The lightning spark can occur between clouds, between the cloud and air, or between the cloud

• and ground". Excerpt taken from S. E Smith (2011), which is a lightning expert who studies and observes how lightning

• forms and produces.

ON AVERAGE, HOW MANY GET STRUCK BY LIGHTNING AND DIE?• “On average, 9 out of 10 people get struck by lightning and die . On average, 70 people

die by lightning each year ( is the most realistic ).” excerpt from S.E Smith (2011).

WHAT CAUSES PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING TO DIE?• The reason why people by die by lightning is not lightning itself. It is the effects that

lightning causes. Lightning has many negative and positive charges which correspond with the earth’s gravitational pull. The negative and positive charges can put you in cardiac arrest. Cardiac Arrest is when you heart stops, which makes you not to breathe, which causes death.

WHAT MEASURES THE INTENSITY OF LIGHTNING BOLTS?• The instrument that measures the intensity of lightning bolts Is the rogowski coil.

WHY ARE SOME MATERIALS MORE CONDUCTIVE THEN OTHERS? More materials are more conductive than others because the charges differ from different objects.