Lightning Insulators and conductors Insulators materials that do

Lightning

Insulators and conductors Insulators: materials that do NOT allow electrons to flow through them easily. Insulators can be easily charged by friction as the extra electrons gained CANNOT easily escape.

4 Insulators and conductors Conductors: materials that allow electrons to flow through them easily. Conductors CANNOT be easily charged by friction as the extra electrons gained can easily escape.

What causes lightning? l l l Lightning is actually just static electricity on a much larger scale. The rubbing is caused by air moving around In thunderclouds bottom is usually negative and top is positive.

Thunder l When the lightning flash happens it heats the air to a temperature 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun. l This causes nearby air to expand vibrate forming the sound we hear as thunder.

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Interesting facts Lightning bolts can travel at speeds of up to 60, 000 miles per second. l Every second around 100 bolts of lightning strike the Earth. l One lightning bolt has enough electricity to power 200, 000 homes. l You are more likely to be struck by lightning than be eaten by a shark. l

Some myths l l Lightning never strikes in the same place twice. False, the Empire State Building is reportedly struck 100 times a year. Wearing rubber shoes will protect me in a thunder storm. False, Lighting is too powerful to be stopped by half an inch of rubber or several hundred feet of rubber for that matter.

Do Now Write a paragraph about the cartoon. Tell what he is trying to do. Will it work and why? What do you think will happen? Use the following words, static electricity, lightning, electrons, positive and negative charges.

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