Re: Potentially stupid question about AC

[Nick <spam@ix.netcom.com>]

This thread is off topic, but what the hell...

Regarding lightning and its origins...

Lightning originates in the clouds, not the earth, as was asserted previously, and it is not
due to the friction between the air and the earth.  The dynamics within clouds cause vast
amounts of air and water vapor particles to be moved from the base of the cloud towards the
top.  This movement causes particles to brush against each other and accumulate charge on the
trip up.  This charge build-up causes the cloud to attain a substantial voltage.  As the
voltage continues to build, the difference between the voltage of the cloud and the voltage of
the earth increases.  This creates an electric attraction or force (EMF) which literally
places an electric pull on the earth and the cloud.  When that pull gets strong enough,
streamers begin to form from the cloud which head down towards earth, creating a zig-zaging
pattern of ionized air.  Likewise the same happens from the earth, except the streamers start
from the gound and zig-zag their way up towards the clouds.  Eventually the streamers of
ionized air from the earth and cloud meet, completing the circuit (ionized gas is an excellent
conductor) and the lightning is the vizible discharge of the cloud into the earth.