How does lightning know the path of least resistance?

Originally Answered: How lightning chooses least resistance path? It’s pretty random, actually. It “feels” out a certain radius, sending out little mini-flashes, and picks the path of one of those little “feelers.” It creates its own “most conductive path” by ionizing the air as it goes.

Does lightning follow the easiest path?

It looks for the closest and easiest path to release its charge. Often lightning occurs between clouds or inside a cloud. These positive charges move up into the tallest objects like trees, telephone poles, and houses. A “stepped leader” of negative charge descends from the cloud seeking out a path toward the ground.

What is the physics of lightning?

Lightning is the result of the build up of electrostatic charge in clouds. Positive and negative charges separate, negative usually towards the bottom of the cloud, while positive goes to the top. After a certain amount of time, the negative charge leaps, connecting with either another cloud or even the ground.

Is thunder a form of electricity?

Well, lightning causes thunder. Lightning is a discharge of electricity. A single stroke of lightning can heat the air around it to 30,000°C (54,000°F)! The expansion creates a shock wave that turns into a booming sound wave, known as thunder.

Where is lightning least common?

About 70\% of lightning occurs on land in the Tropics, where the majority of thunderstorms occur. The North and South Poles and the areas over the oceans have the fewest lightning strikes.

How does a lightning bolt strike?

How is a Lightning Bolt Formed? Because opposites attract, the negative charge at the bottom of the storm cloud wants to link up with the ground’s positive charge. Once the negative charge at the bottom of the cloud gets large enough, a flow of negative charge called a stepped leader rushes toward the Earth.

Does lightning have a path?

Does lightning strike from the sky down, or the ground up? The answer is both. Cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning comes from the sky down, but the part you see comes from the ground up. A typical cloud-to-ground flash lowers a path of negative electricity (that we cannot see) towards the ground in a series of spurts.

What is the path of least resistance for lightning?

Strictly speaking, there is no “path of least resistance”. If there was, lightning would tend to follow a straight path, which it obviously does not. Lightning creates it’s own path by causing the dielectric medium (Earth’s atmosphere) to breakdown and allow conduction.

Does the leader take the path of least resistance from the cloud?

Consequently, the leader does not take the path of least resistance from cloud to ground as it moves blindly toward the ground. In addition, the stepped leader generally branches outward as it seeks a connection to the ground.

Why doesn’t Lightning follow a straight path?

If there was, lightning would tend to follow a straight path, which it obviously does not. Lightning creates it’s own path by causing the dielectric medium (Earth’s atmosphere) to breakdown and allow conduction.

Why is lightning not a DC current?

Lightning is not DC current; it looks for the path of least IMPEDENCE, not least resistance. DC current will follow a crooked wire around sharp angles; due to its high frequency, lightning prefers to cut corners.