Explain the process of lightning formation to a middle schooler.

The conditions needed to produce lightning have been known for some time. However, exactly how lightning forms has never been verified, so there is room for debate.

Leading theories focus around separation of electric charge and generation of an electric field within a thunderstorm. Recent studies also indicate that ice, hail, and semi-frozen water drops are essential to lightning development. Storms that fail to produce large quantities of ice usually fail to produce lightning.

Forecasting when and where lightning will strike is not yet possible and most likely never will be. But by educating yourself about lightning and learning some basic safety rules, you, your family, and your friends can avoid needless exposure to the dangers of one of the most capricious and unpredictable forces of nature.

Thunderstorms have very turbulent environments. Strong updrafts and downdrafts occur with regularity and within close proximity to each other. The updrafts transport small liquid water droplets from the lower regions of the storm to heights between 35,000 and 70,000 feet, which is miles above the freezing level.

Meanwhile, downdrafts transport hail and ice from the frozen upper regions of the storm. When these collide, the water droplets freeze and release heat. This heat in turn keeps the surface of the hail and ice slightly warmer than their surrounding environment, and a "soft hail", or "graupel", forms.

When graupel collides with additional water droplets and ice particles, a critical phenomenon occurs: electrons are sheared off of the ascending particles and collect on the descending particles. Because electrons carry a negative charge, the result is a storm cloud with a negatively charged base and a positively charged top.

In the world of electricity, opposites attract and insulators inhibit. As positive and negative charges begin to separate within the cloud, an electric field is generated between its top and base. Further separation of these charges into pools of positive and negative regions results in a strengthening of the electric field.

However, the atmosphere is a very good insulator that inhibits electric flow, so a TREMENDOUS amount of charge has to build up before lightning can occur. When that charge threshold is reached, the strength of the electric field overpowers the atmosphere's insulating properties, and lightning results.

The electric field within the storm is not the only one that develops. Below the negatively charged storm base, positive charge begins to pool within the surface of the Earth (see image right).

This positive charge will shadow the storm wherever it goes and is responsible for cloud-to-ground lightning. However, the electric field within the storm is much stronger than the one between the storm base and the Earth's surface, so most lightning (~75-80%) occurs within the storm cloud itself.
How Lightning Develops Between The Cloud And The Ground


It is invisible to the human eye and shoots to the ground in a series of rapid steps, each occurring in less time than it takes to blink. As the negative leader approaches the ground, positive charge collects in the ground and in objects on the ground.

When these channels connect, the resulting electrical transfer is what we see as lightning. After the initial lightning stroke, if enough charge is leftover, additional lightning strokes will use the same channel, giving the bolt its flickering appearance. 

Take it to the MAX! The Lightning Process: Keeping in Step

Tall objects, such as trees and skyscrapers, are commonly struck by lightning. Mountains also make good targets. This is because their tops are closer to the base of the storm cloud.

Remember, the atmosphere is a good electrical insulator. The less distance the lightning has to burn through, the easier it is for it to strike.

However, this does not always mean tall objects will be struck. Lightning can strike the ground in an open field even if the tree line is nearby - it all depends on where the charges accumulate.

system
ek middle scooler ko bijli ke gathan kii prakriya kii vyakhya karen.

bijli kaa utpaadan karne ke liye aavashyak sthitiyon ko kuch samay ke liye janaa jaataa he.haalanki, vastav main kaise bijli ke roopon ko kabhi bhi satyapit nahin kiya gaya he, isliye bahes ke liye jagah he.

agrani siddhant ek aandhi ke bheetar ek vidyut kshetra kii vidyut aavesh or utpaadan ko alag karne ke liye dhyaan kendrit karte hai.haal ke adhyayanon se yah bhi sanket miltaa he ki bijli ke vikaas ke liye barf, olavrishti or ardh-jame hue pani kii boonden aavashyak hai.badi maatra main barf kaa utpaadan karne main vifal rahane vaale tufaan aamtaur par bijli kaa utpaadan karne main vifal hote hai.

jab or jahaan bijli gir jaaegi to purvanumaan abhi tak sambhav nahin he or sabase adhik sambhaavna kabhi nahin hogi.lekin bijli ke bare main khud ko shikshit karne or kuch buniyadi suraksha niyamon ko seekhney ke bare main, aap, aapke parivaar or aapke dost prakruti ke sabase makar or apratyaashit balon main se ek ke khataron ke liye anaavashyak sampark se batch sakate hai.

garaj ke paas bahut ashaant vaataavaran he.majboot apadraft or downdraft niyamitata ke saath or ek duusare ke kareeb nikatataa ke saath hote hai.apadraft tufaan ke nichle kshetron se chote taral pani kii buundon ko 35,000 or 70,000 feet ke bich oonchaaiyon tak pahunchaate hai, jo ki thand ke str se mile upar he.

is bich, tufaan ke jame hue upree kshetron se giravat or barf kaa parivahan.jab ye takaraate hai, to pani kii boonden jam jaati hai or garmi chhodti hai.badale main yah garmi olavrishti or barf kii sataha ko unke aasapaas ke vaataavaran kii tulana main thodaa garm rakhti he, or ek "naram jai", yaa "grupel", roopon.

jab grapel atirikt pani kii buundon or barf ke kanon se takaraata he, to ek mahatvapurn ghatana hoti he: electronon ko arohi kanon se band kar diya jaataa he or avarohi kanon par ikattha kiya jaataa he.kyonki electron ek nakaaratmak charge le jate hai, parinaam ek nakaaratmak rup se charge kiye gaye aadhaar ke saath ek tufaan badal he or ek sakaaratmak rup se charge kiya gaya sheersh he.

bijli kii duniya main, virdohi aakarshith karte hai or insulator baadhit hote hai.chunki sakaaratmak or nakaaratmak charge cloud ke bheetar alag hone lagate hai, isliye iske sheersh or aadhaar ke bich ek vidyut kshetra utpann hota he.sakaaratmak or nakaaratmak kshetron ke pulon main in shulkon ko or alag karne ke parinamswaroop vidyut kshetra ko majboot kiya jaataa he.

haalanki, vaataavaran ek bahut acha insulator he jo vidyut pravaah ko roktaa he, isliye bijli ke hone se pehle ek jabardast maatra kaa nirmaan karnaa padataa he.jab us charge threshold tak pahunch jaataa he, to vidyut kshetra kii takat vayumandal ke insulate gunon or bijli ke parinaamon ko khatm kar detii he.

tufaan ke bheetar vidyut kshetra keval ek hi nahin he jo viksit hota he.nakaaratmak rup se charge kiye gaye tufaan ke aadhaar ke neeche, sakaaratmak charge prithvi kii sataha ke bheetar pool karnaa shuru kar detaa he (chhavi daaen dekhen).

yah sakaaratmak charge tufaan ko chaaya degaa jahaan bhi vah jaataa he or cloud-tu-ground litening ke liye jimmedaar hota he.haalanki, tufaan ke bheetar vidyut kshetra tufaan ke aadhaar or prithvi kii sataha ke bich kii tulana main bahut adhik majboot he, isliye adhikansh bijli (~ 75-80%) tufaan ke badal ke bheetar hi hoti he.
badal or jameen ke bich bijli kaise viksit hoti he


yah maanav aankh ke liye adrishy he or teji se kadamon kii ek shrinkhalaa main jameen par goli martha he, prayek kam samay main hota he jitna ki yah jhapai lene ke liye letaa he.jaise -jaise nakaaratmak netaa jameen par pahunchataa he, sakaaratmak charge jameen main or jameen par vastuon main ekatra hota he.

jab ye channel conect hote hai, to parinami vidyut hastantaran vah hota he jise ham bijli ke rup main dekhte hai.praarambhik bijli ke stroke ke baad, yadi paryaapt charge bache hue he, to atirikt litening stroke ek hi channel kaa upyog karenge, jisase bolt ko apni timatimaana upasthiti milegi.

ise adhiktam le lo!bijli kii prakriya: kadam main rakhana

lambii vasteen, jaise ki ped or gaganchumbi imaaraten, aamtaur par bijli se takaraa jaati hai.pahaad bhi achche lakshya banaate hai.aisa isliye he kyonki unke top storm cloud ke aadhaar ke kareeb hai.

yaad rakhen, vaataavaran ek acha vidyut insulator he.bijli jitani kam duuri ke madhyam se jalanaa he, utana hi aasaan he ki hadtaal karnaa.

haalanki, iskaa matlab yah nahin he ki lambii vastuon ko maaraa jayega.bijli kii rekha paas main hone par bhi ek khule maidan main jameen par hamalaa kar sakati he - yah sab is baat par nirbhar karata he ki aarope kahaan jamaa hote hai.
user
bijli ek aakarshak prakritik ghatana he.jis tarah se ise banaaya jaataa he vah badalon ke prakaaron par bahut adhik nirbhar karata he jo gathit hote hai.yah dikhaaya gaya he ki badi maatra main barf, chaahe vah ola yaa ardh-jame hue pani ho, bijli ke liye aavashyak he.

jab ek thunderstorm cloud banataa he, to iske sheersh ko sakaaratmak rup se charge kiya jaataa he or iske nichle hisse ko nakaaratmak rup se charge kiya jaataa he.badalon main kuch aisa hota he jise "charge threshold" kaha jaataa he, jo anivaary rup se badalon ko ek saath charge kii maatra he, jo bijli ke gathan se pehle pahunchnaa padataa he.badal ke nakaaratmak rup se charge kiye gaye nichle hisse ke neeche, prithvi kii sataha par sakaaratmak rup se charge kiye gaye aayan banate hai.chunki vipareet aarope ek -duusare ke prati aakarshith hote hai, nakaaratmak rup se charge cloud threshold tak pahunchane ke baad prithvi kii sataha ke sakaaratmak rup se charge kiye gaye hisse ko ek charge bhejega.yah charge jo badal se prithvi tak pahunchataa he, vah bijli he.

zyaadaatar samay bijli ke hamalon main, yah gaganchumbi imaarat yaa lambey ped kii tarah kuch lanbaa ho jayega.iskaa kaaran yah he ki sakaaratmak rup se charge kiye gaye aayan is lambii vastu kii yatra karenge, jo yanon ke bich kii duuri or nakaaratmak rup se charge kiye gaye badal ko chota kar degaa.duuri jitani choti hogi, aakarshan utana hi majboot hoga.haalanki iskaa matlab yah nahin he ki bijli hameshaa hadtaal karegi ki iske kareeb kya he, agar ek sapaat sataha main lambi sataha kii tulana main adhik sakaaratmak aayan hote hai, to bijli kii sabase adhik sambhaavna sapaat sataha par prahaar karegi kyonki aakarshan abhi bhi kam duuri vaale ek se adhik majboot hoga..

sankshep main, bijli ke hamale badalon main barf kii maatra, badalon kii charge dahalij, or badal ke nakaaratmak rup se charge kiye gaye hisse or prithvi kii sataha ke sakaaratmak rup se charge kiye gaye hisson ke bich aakarshan kii takat par nirbhar karte hai.
assistant
<|system|>
</s>
<|user|>
ek middle scooler ko bijli ke gathan kii prakriya kii vyakhya karen.

bijli kaa utpaadan karne ke liye aavashyak sthitiyon ko kuch samay ke liye janaa jaataa he.haalanki, vastav main kaise bijli ke roopon ko kabhi bhi satyapit nahin kiya gaya he, isliye bahes ke liye jagah he.

agrani siddhant ek aandhi ke bheetar ek vidyut kshetra kii vidyut aavesh or utpaadan ko alag karne ke liye dhyaan kendrit karte hai.haal ke adhyayanon se yah bhi sanket miltaa he ki bijli ke vikaas ke liye barf, olavrishti or ardh-jame hue pani kii boonden aavashyak hai.badi maatra main barf kaa utpaadan karne main vifal rahane vaale tufaan aamtaur par bijli kaa utpaadan karne main vifal hote hai.

jab or jahaan bijli gir jaaegi to purvanumaan abhi tak sambhav nahin he or sabase adhik sambhaavna kabhi nahin hogi.lekin bijli ke bare main khud ko shikshit karne or kuch buniyadi suraksha niyamon ko seekhney ke bare main, aap, aapke parivaar or aapke dost prakruti ke sabase makar or apratyaashit balon main se ek ke khataron ke liye anaavashyak sampark se batch sakate hai.

garaj ke paas bahut ashaant vaataavaran he.majboot apadraft or downdraft niyamitata ke saath or ek duusare ke kareeb nikatataa ke saath hote hai.apadraft tufaan ke nichle kshetron se chote taral pani kii buundon ko 35,000 or 70,000 feet ke bich oonchaaiyon tak pahunchaate hai, jo ki thand ke str se mile upar he.

is bich, tufaan ke jame hue upree kshetron se giravat or barf kaa parivahan.jab ye takaraate hai, to pani kii boonden jam jaati hai or garmi chhodti hai.badale main yah garmi olavrishti or barf kii sataha ko unke aasapaas ke vaataavaran kii tulana main thodaa garm rakhti he, or ek "naram jai", yaa "grupel", roopon.

jab grapel atirikt pani kii buundon or barf ke kanon se takaraata he, to ek mahatvapurn ghatana hoti he: electronon ko arohi kanon se band kar diya jaataa he or avarohi kanon par ikattha kiya jaataa he.kyonki electron ek nakaaratmak charge le jate hai, parinaam ek nakaaratmak rup se charge kiye gaye aadhaar ke saath ek tufaan badal he or ek sakaaratmak rup se charge kiya gaya sheersh he.

bijli kii duniya main, virdohi aakarshith karte hai or insulator baadhit hote hai.chunki sakaaratmak or nakaaratmak charge cloud ke bheetar alag hone lagate hai, isliye iske sheersh or aadhaar ke bich ek vidyut kshetra utpann hota he.sakaaratmak or nakaaratmak kshetron ke pulon main in shulkon ko or alag karne ke parinamswaroop vidyut kshetra ko majboot kiya jaataa he.

haalanki, vaataavaran ek bahut acha insulator he jo vidyut pravaah ko roktaa he, isliye bijli ke hone se pehle ek jabardast maatra kaa nirmaan karnaa padataa he.jab us charge threshold tak pahunch jaataa he, to vidyut kshetra kii takat vayumandal ke insulate gunon or bijli ke parinaamon ko khatm kar detii he.

tufaan ke bheetar vidyut kshetra keval ek hi nahin he jo viksit hota he.nakaaratmak rup se charge kiye gaye tufaan ke aadhaar ke neeche, sakaaratmak charge prithvi kii sataha ke bheetar pool karnaa shuru kar detaa he (chhavi daaen dekhen).

yah sakaaratmak charge tufaan ko chaaya degaa jahaan bhi vah jaataa he or cloud-tu-ground litening ke liye jimmedaar hota he.haalanki, tufaan ke bheetar vidyut kshetra tufaan ke aadhaar or prithvi kii sataha ke bich kii tulana main bahut adhik majboot he, isliye adhikansh bijli (~ 75-80%) tufaan ke badal ke bheetar hi hoti he.
badal or jameen ke bich bijli kaise viksit hoti he


yah maanav aankh ke liye adrishy he or teji se kadamon kii ek shrinkhalaa main jameen par goli martha he, prayek kam samay main hota he jitna ki yah jhapai lene ke liye letaa he.jaise -jaise nakaaratmak netaa jameen par pahunchataa he, sakaaratmak charge jameen main or jameen par vastuon main ekatra hota he.

jab ye channel conect hote hai, to parinami vidyut hastantaran vah hota he jise ham bijli ke rup main dekhte hai.praarambhik bijli ke stroke ke baad, yadi paryaapt charge bache hue he, to atirikt litening stroke ek hi channel kaa upyog karenge, jisase bolt ko apni timatimaana upasthiti milegi.

ise adhiktam le lo!bijli kii prakriya: kadam main rakhana

lambii vasteen, jaise ki ped or gaganchumbi imaaraten, aamtaur par bijli se takaraa jaati hai.pahaad bhi achche lakshya banaate hai.aisa isliye he kyonki unke top storm cloud ke aadhaar ke kareeb hai.

yaad rakhen, vaataavaran ek acha vidyut insulator he.bijli jitani kam duuri ke madhyam se jalanaa he, utana hi aasaan he ki hadtaal karnaa.

haalanki, iskaa matlab yah nahin he ki lambii vastuon ko maaraa jayega.bijli kii rekha paas main hone par bhi ek khule maidan main jameen par hamalaa kar sakati he - yah sab is baat par nirbhar karata he ki aarope kahaan jamaa hote hai.</s>
<|assistant|>
bijli ek aakarshak prakritik ghatana he.jis tarah se ise banaaya jaataa he vah badalon ke prakaaron par bahut adhik nirbhar karata he jo gathit hote hai.yah dikhaaya gaya he ki badi maatra main barf, chaahe vah ola yaa ardh-jame hue pani ho, bijli ke liye aavashyak he.

jab ek thunderstorm cloud banataa he, to iske sheersh ko sakaaratmak rup se charge kiya jaataa he or iske nichle hisse ko nakaaratmak rup se charge kiya jaataa he.badalon main kuch aisa hota he jise "charge threshold" kaha jaataa he, jo anivaary rup se badalon ko ek saath charge kii maatra he, jo bijli ke gathan se pehle pahunchnaa padataa he.badal ke nakaaratmak rup se charge kiye gaye nichle hisse ke neeche, prithvi kii sataha par sakaaratmak rup se charge kiye gaye aayan banate hai.chunki vipareet aarope ek -duusare ke prati aakarshith hote hai, nakaaratmak rup se charge cloud threshold tak pahunchane ke baad prithvi kii sataha ke sakaaratmak rup se charge kiye gaye hisse ko ek charge bhejega.yah charge jo badal se prithvi tak pahunchataa he, vah bijli he.

zyaadaatar samay bijli ke hamalon main, yah gaganchumbi imaarat yaa lambey ped kii tarah kuch lanbaa ho jayega.iskaa kaaran yah he ki sakaaratmak rup se charge kiye gaye aayan is lambii vastu kii yatra karenge, jo yanon ke bich kii duuri or nakaaratmak rup se charge kiye gaye badal ko chota kar degaa.duuri jitani choti hogi, aakarshan utana hi majboot hoga.haalanki iskaa matlab yah nahin he ki bijli hameshaa hadtaal karegi ki iske kareeb kya he, agar ek sapaat sataha main lambi sataha kii tulana main adhik sakaaratmak aayan hote hai, to bijli kii sabase adhik sambhaavna sapaat sataha par prahaar karegi kyonki aakarshan abhi bhi kam duuri vaale ek se adhik majboot hoga..

sankshep main, bijli ke hamale badalon main barf kii maatra, badalon kii charge dahalij, or badal ke nakaaratmak rup se charge kiye gaye hisse or prithvi kii sataha ke sakaaratmak rup se charge kiye gaye hisson ke bich aakarshan kii takat par nirbhar karte hai.</s>
