Lightning is the glow generated by an electrical discharge in the atmosphere.
Lightning is a term that came into our language from the Latin word relampadare . This is the glow generated by a discharge of electricity in the atmosphere. It is important not to confuse it with lightning , which is the electrical discharge itself.
Lightning, therefore, is the light emission that accompanies lightning. Thunder is also often heard in storms, the roar of which is generated by the wave produced by lightning when, as it passes, it heats the air. Lightning never reaches the Earth's surface, something lightning can do.
It should be noted that lightning and thunder occur almost at the same time , although the lightning appears first, since light travels faster than sound. It is said that it is possible to calculate how far a person is from a storm, simply by dividing the time between the lightning and the thunder (in seconds) by the speed of sound, which is close to 330 meters per second. To do this, we must count the seconds that pass since we see lightning and make this division.
How lightning occurs
Rain, when falling on Earth , causes natural evaporation by convection. In this way, as the rain falls, drops rise towards the clouds. At a height of about 2.5 kilometers , due to the drop in temperature, ice particles are also generated that, due to gravity, descend.
The collision between the falling ice and the droplets that rise due to evaporation results in the formation of an electric field: when the charges are transferred, lightning is produced.
Lightning should not be confused with lightning.
A display that attracts
Lightning and lightning are characterized by a display that is spectacular for human beings, and this can be seen in the countless mentions they have received throughout history in all types of myths, ranging from the gods of Olympus to modern literature.
On the other hand, many people enjoy watching lightning during the fiercest storms , as it reminds them that nature harbors a force that is impossible to control. Furthermore, while scientists see a phenomenon, people outside of science experience a spectacle of energy that borders on magic.
It is worth mentioning that lightning, lightning and thunder can also be a cause of terror for some people , especially for children and at night, since the violence of such phenomena activates their imagination and prevents them from being as attentive to the environment as in the moments of tranquility. When the darkness is interrupted without warning by the powerful light of lightning, long shadows are produced for fractions of a second, and these can be interpreted as "strange presences" by the most susceptible; If we add to this a roar capable of shaking the Earth, it is difficult to imagine a more terrifying scenario.
Other uses of the term lightning
Due to the liveliness and speed with which lightning appears, the term is also used symbolically to name various issues or things that happen quickly or that are sudden .
In this sense, the military tactic that consists of initiating attack actions with a bombardment and then, almost immediately, continuing with a mobilization of forces to carry out an offensive in a surprising manner is known as blitzkrieg . Faced with these movements, the enemy force does not have time to organize its defense .