The electrical discharge that arises from the clouds is known as lightning.
With etymological origin in the Latin radius , ray is, in its broadest sense, that line that originates in the place where a certain type of energy is generated and extends in the direction where it propagates.
A ray, therefore, can be the luminosity that comes from the sun . For example: "The sun's rays came directly to his face, making him feel the heat," "I need glasses: the sun's rays bother me when driving," "It is not good to be exposed to the sun's rays during midday."
Lightning as an electric discharge
Lightning, on the other hand, is known as the electric discharge that occurs naturally between clouds or that starts from a cloud and reaches the Earth's surface. In this sense, it is often used as a synonym for lightning (the glow generated by the discharge in the sky ): «Have you seen that lightning? "We'd better go back home," "Lightning knocked down a tree, which fell on a car," "When there's lightning, it's best to take shelter to avoid accidents."
The type of electricity released by natural lightning in a thunderstorm is called static , and is generated when an excessive electrical charge accumulates in an area with poor conductivity , which causes the discharge to be postponed until it is very strong. In addition, the beam generates what is known as an electromagnetic pulse , a very intense emission of electromagnetic energy that takes place in a very short period of time.
Differences with lightning and thunder
The concept of lightning , which is often confused with lightning, refers to the light that is perceived during this phenomenon, and its cause is the presence of electric current that produces the ionization of air molecules.
On the other hand, there is thunder , that is, the noise heard when seeing lightning, as a result of the shock wave; The air expands and heats up very quickly due to the passage of electric current through the atmosphere, and this generates the sound of thunder.
The spokes are the elements that join the perimeter with the center of a wheel.
Positive rays, negative rays and super rays
It is possible to distinguish between positive and negative rays ; the former, considerably rarer than the latter, extract electrons from the Earth's surface and transport them skyward, reaching much higher levels of energy and intensity, as much as hundreds of times those possible during the discharge of a negative ray.
On the other hand, super rays are known as those that contain an extremely high energy charge and that occur with a frequency two million times lower than normal . The distance that one of these electrical monsters can reach is also much greater than that of a normal lightning bolt: the longest ever recorded measured approximately 190 kilometers, while the usual distance is 1.5 .
Although people are often very afraid of lightning during thunderstorms, cases of death or serious injury are very rare, as are those of plane crashes. In fact, lightning making contact with a human being does not necessarily imply the death of the latter, but rather it can cause burns that can be cured. The greatest danger is electrocution, and the collateral damage it leaves in our nervous system , which can range from sleep disorders to the annulment of entire regions of the brain.
Other uses of the concept
In a wheel , the spokes are those pieces that join the center to the perimeter : "When I fell, the spokes of the front wheel broke," "My bicycle has silver spokes."
The notion of lightning can also be used to describe an individual who demonstrates great mental speed , being witty and ingenious: «This boy is a lightning bolt, sometimes he surprises me with his answers» , «The president is fascinated with the young minister, whom he defines as a lightning bolt for his ability to reach agreements with different social sectors .