Thunderstorm is an interesting natural phenomenon. But everyone knows that there is a flip side to the coin. Thunderstorm is not only beautiful lightning in the sky, but also danger. The sky, covered with dark blue clouds, strong winds, thunder, flashes - all that we are accustomed to observe in this phenomenon. Many probably wondered more than once: "And where does the fiery guest beat during a thunderstorm?" You will learn the answer to this question later, but for now, you need to figure out how this happens.
Where does the flash come from?
Lightning is a natural phenomenon, which is an electric discharge, which is accompanied by a flash of light. This is a huge spark.
It does not appear as close as it seems to us. Everyone knows that the speed of light is faster than the speed of sound a million times. That is why we first see the flash, and only then we hear the roar. How does she appear? Thunderstorm clouds form in the atmosphere. When the air heats up too much, charged particles flock in one place and flash. So there is lightning. However, it has a very high temperature.
Lightning direction
We are all used to seeing lightning strike from top to bottom. The channel through which the lightning passes is a branching, since the ionization of the air occurs unevenly. Lightning passing through this channel also branches out, so we are used to seeing the flash not as a straight line, but like veins. The main channel through which lightning passes is called the leader. The branches formed from him go in the direction of movement of the leader. It is important to note that the leader cannot change his direction sharply to the opposite. Current flows through the leader and its branches as soon as it has connected a thundercloud and earth. Passing through the channels, the current hits in the direction several times. Thanks to this, we see that lightning flickers.
Where does the lightning strike?
Tension in the high layers is always greater than in the lower. Therefore, you can notice that the "celestial guest" hits from top to bottom. If you compare lightning with a tree, then it will resemble its root system.
Sometimes it happens that the current flows in the opposite direction, that is, from bottom to top. If we make a comparison with a tree, then the leader and his branches will resemble a spreading crown. When lightning strikes from top to bottom, it seems as if it is striking from heaven to earth. In the second case, we do not perceive that lightning strikes from the ground. Why is that? It's all about our perception. Lightning is a quick process. Our eyes fix a look at it as a whole, but we cannot observe the direction of the current, and the perception of a person is far from objective. Human eyes cannot capture thousands of frames per second. Therefore, we perceive the whole picture.
If you look at a video camera that is capable of catching these lightning-fast frames, you can see both upward and downward current flows. How this process happens is understandable, but where does lightning strike? In this we will understand below.
Where does lightning strike and why?
Lightning strikes in those places where the layer between any object and a thundercloud will be the smallest. Many objects that are on the ground and conduct well current attract lightning. Where does the lightning strike? It can fall into various places: trees, metal towers, poles, pipes, houses, buildings, airplanes, water, even in humans. The higher the attraction of the subject, the greater the likelihood of a lightning strike. For example, take two nearby posts: wooden and metal. More likely to strike in the second.
The fact is that metal objects conduct much better current. After the impact, current from the earth will go much easier to the mast, since it is well connected to the earth. The larger the surface of the metal structure is connected to the ground, the greater the likelihood of a lightning strike. Often, it hits a flat surface. But there will be such a section where there is the greatest conductivity of the surface of an electric current.
For example, swamps are more likely to be struck by lightning than a surface of dry sand. Objects in the sky can also be hit. There are cases when lightning struck an airplane. It does not carry a strong danger to people in the aircraft, but it is quite capable of putting equipment out of order. Lightning poses a great danger to people who are in a house during a thunderstorm. It would seem, why so, because a person is protected? However, an unconnected TV, a working mobile phone, can easily draw current, which is dangerous for humans.
There are cases when he hit a man on the street. Lightning strikes men more often than women. In the countryside, she can hit anywhere. And where does lightning strike in the city? As mentioned, it hits objects that easily conduct current, well connected to the ground. It will be tall buildings, towers. Fortunately, lightning rods have been invented, which are widely used in large cities. For humans, lightning is a dangerous phenomenon. That is why you should follow all safety rules and know how to behave properly during a thunderstorm.
Myth and only
Information about where lightning strikes most often has become clearer. Now I want to dispel the myth that lightning does not strike in the same place twice. Beats. Lightning is able to hit the same object several times.