A flash and a bang! This quiz is all about electrical storms. Can you catch lightning in a bottle and get 5/5 this quiz?
#1. True or false? Lightning is caused by static electricity.
True! Inside a cloud, water droplets get lifted by wind currents while ice and hail fall down. When these 2 flows meet, they rub against each other and cause static electricity.
#2. Where does a bolt of lightning travel between?
The most common lightning strikes are between 2 places in the same cloud, but lightning can also strike between 2 clouds, from a cloud to the ground, or even from the ground up into a cloud!
#3. What temperature is the middle of a bolt of lightning?
It’s very hard to measure the temperature inside a lightning bolt, but scientists think they reach about 20,000 °C, which is about 3 times hotter than the surface of the Sun!
#4. True or false? Lightning never strikes the same place twice.
False. Lightning can strike the same place multiple times. In fact, lightning ionises (charges) the air as it passes, making repeat strikes much more likely for a few seconds.
#5. A place called Lake Maracaibo has more lightning than anywhere else on Earth, but which of the following best describes it?
Lake Maracaibo is the largest lake in South America, and it has lightning storms about 300 days per year.
Results
Congratulations! You are a real science whiz!
Oh dear! Better brush up before the next quiz!
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