Question

One night of electrical storm you observe lightning and lightning, indicating electric discharges, based on the information of electric charge and how to charge bodies, how would you explain that a cloud is electrically charged. What is the evidence or effect that occurs in a cloud to say it is electrically charged?

Answer 1

When you rub two rough objects together, exchange of electrons takes place as they get excited from the energy they acquire from the rubbing. So we know objects acquire charge when rubbed against one another. The movement of these charges is called an electric current.

During a strom, you see the lightnings in the clouds which are electric currents that are caused by the movement of charged water and ice particles. The particles acquire charge when one cloud rubs against another. When these lightnings strike the ground, the charged particles find their way into the ground from the clouds above through some conductors(like tress and high buldings) and the sound we hear of thunder is that of the current breaking through air molecules like a jet plane. So the lightning strikes onto the earth and is the clouds are the evidence that the clouds are electrically charged.