Describe one promising explanation for how thunderclouds become electrified, that is, acquire a charge separation that often leads to cloud-to-ground lightning strikes.
The process of thunderstorm electrification.
Explanation of Solution
Introduction:
In a thunderstorm, the charging area is the central part where air moves upwards and the temperature is about -15°C to -25°C. This upward air and temperature produce a mixture of small water droplets which are super cooled, small ice crystals, and hail.
The water droplets and the ice crystals move upwards, whereas the hail tends to fall or suspend in the air. During this movement within the storm, the ice crystals and the hail collide with each other. This collision enables the ice crystals to be positively charged and the hail to be negatively charged. This clearly states that the upper of the cloud has positive charges and the middle to lower part has negative charges. The ice crystals which have positive charges move horizontally to some distance at the upper part which is termed as anvil. This anvil is main charging process of the thunderstorm cloud. Normally, ground has negative charge. When thunderstorm cloud approaches the ground, the negative charges in the lower part will get repel with the ground. So, this, in turn, causes the ground to have positive charge, while the anvil, having positive charge cause the ground to have negative charge.
Want to see more full solutions like this?
Chapter 7 Solutions
Inquiry into Physics
Additional Science Textbook Solutions
College Physics: A Strategic Approach (3rd Edition)
Campbell Biology (11th Edition)
Introductory Chemistry (6th Edition)
Fundamentals Of Thermodynamics
Organic Chemistry
- Some types of spiders build webs that consist of threads made of dry silk coated with a solution of a variety of compounds. This coating leaves the threads, which are used to capture prey, hygroscopic—that is, they attract water from the atmosphere. It has been hypothesized that this aqueous coating makes the threads good electrical conductors. To test the electrical properties of coated thread, researchers placed a 5-mm length of thread between two electrical contacts. The researchers stretched the thread in 1-mm increments to more than twice its original length, and then allowed it to return to its original length, again in 1-mm increments. Some of the resistance measurements are shown in the table: (a) What is the best explanation for the behavior exhibited in the data? (b) If the conductivity of the thread results from the aqueous coating only, how does the cross-sectional area of the coating compare when the thread is 13 mm long versus the starting length of 5 mm? Assume that the…arrow_forwardPlz solve the advance physics question.arrow_forward8.987 x 10° N - m² /C2. Vacuum permitivity, eo Use the following constants if necessary. Coulomb constant, of the Charge of one electron, e = symbol carries their usual meaning. For example, µC means micro coulomb . 8.854 x 10 12 F/m. Magnitude 9.10938356 x 10-31 kg. Unless specified otherwise, each 1.60217662 x 10-19 C. Mass of one electron, m. Suppose you have 5 point charges q to gs distributed along a semi-circie maintaining equal distance. The charge gs is at the center of the circle. The -27 μC. radius of the semi-circle is R 28 cm and the magnitude of the charges are as follows : 91 95 = 24 µC, 92= q4 29 µC and qs a) Find the vector that points from qi to gs and call it1,6- z component of the vector Give your answer to at least three significance digits. y component of the vector Give your answer to at least three significance digits. m e) Find the vector that points from q4 to ge and call it F46 I component of the vector Give your answer to at least three significance digits m…arrow_forward
- A bumblebee can sense electric fields. The most likely mechanism underlying this sensitivity is the motion of hairs on the bee’s body. The hairs bend in response to an electric field, and the bee senses this motion. Support for this mechanism as the source of the sensitivity is the fact that putting an electric charge on a bee (as occurs when a bee flies through the air) dramatically increases its electric field sensitivity. Explain why adding charge to a beecauses hairs on the bee’s body to bend more in response to a field.arrow_forwardLong, long ago, on a planet far, far away, a physics experiment was carried out. First, a 0.250-kg ball with zero net chargewas dropped from rest at a height of 1.00 m. The ball landed0.552 s later. Next, the ball was given a net charge of 7.75 mC anddropped in the same way from the same height. This time theball fell for 0.680 s before landing. What is the electric potentialat a height of 1.00 m above the ground on this planet, given thatthe electric potential at ground level is zero? (Air resistance canbe ignored.)arrow_forwardLightning occurs when there is a flow of electric charge (principally electrons) between the ground and a thundercloud. The maximum rate of charge flow in a lightning bolt is about 20,000 C/s; this lasts for 100 us or less. How much charge flows between the ground and the cloud in this time? How many electrons flow during this time?arrow_forward
- Why would you get shocked when you will touch metal in winter? What is Charge?arrow_forwardCalculate the magnitude and direction of the Coulomb force on each of the three charges shown in Figure P15.10.arrow_forwardLightning occurs when there is a flow of electric charge (principally electrons) between the ground and a thundercloud. The maximum rate of charge flow in a lightning bolt is about 20,000 C/s; this lasts for 100 us or less. How much charge flows between the ground and the cloud in this time? How many elec- trons flow during this time?arrow_forward
- The probability of fusion occurring is greatly enhanced when appropriate nuclei are brought close together, but mutual Coulomb repulsion must be overcome. This can be done using the kinetic energy of high- temperature gas ions or by accelerating the nuclei toward one another. (a) Calculate the potential energy of two singly charged nuclei separated by 1.001012. (b) At what temperature will atoms of a gas have an average kinetic energy equal to this needed electrical potential energy?arrow_forwardGiven the polar character of water molecules, explain how ions in the air form nucleation centers for rain droplets.arrow_forwardCommon static electricity involves charges ranging from nanocoulombs to microcoulombs. (a) How many electrons are needed to form a charge of 2.00 nC (b) How many electrons must be removed from a neutral object to leave a net charge of 0.500 C ?arrow_forward
- College PhysicsPhysicsISBN:9781938168000Author:Paul Peter Urone, Roger HinrichsPublisher:OpenStax CollegePhysics for Scientists and Engineers: Foundations...PhysicsISBN:9781133939146Author:Katz, Debora M.Publisher:Cengage Learning
- Principles of Physics: A Calculus-Based TextPhysicsISBN:9781133104261Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. JewettPublisher:Cengage LearningPhysics for Scientists and Engineers, Technology ...PhysicsISBN:9781305116399Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. JewettPublisher:Cengage Learning