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Lightning Facts For Kids

Fun Facts About Lightning For Kids

There is something about a warm night when the clouds gather, you hear a distant rumble of thunder. You become excited knowing that you might get to see a lightning storm. I have always been fascinated with Lightning. A lightning storm does a great job of reminding me how tiny and small I am, and how powerful mother nature truly is. Today, I want to share some awesome lightning facts for kids, some fun facts about lightning that will knock your socks off. Lightning is one of those truly amazing natural occurrences, and everyone should know more about it!

Lightning Facts For Kids

Amazing Facts About Lightning For Kids

Lightning is an amazing spectacle. I wanted to take some time today and share with you some of the most interesting and amazing fun facts about lightning for kids. Let’s get started, and prepare to be amazed!

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What Causes Lightning?

When you combine and electric charge with an unbalanced atmosphere, you will typically get lightning. The movement of ice and rain within a thundercloud creates an electrical charge. The positive charge (protons) forms at the top, and the negative charge (electrons) form at the bottom of the cloud. In this instance opposites attract, the negative charge begins seeking a positive charge to connect with. When this happens you get a lightning strike. Truly amazing science behind one of mother natures most beautiful but powerful events.

Fun And Amazing Lightning Facts For Kids

♦ There is a lot of lightning going on right now! Every second there are 40-50 lightning strikes worldwide. This results in nearly 1.4 billion strikes per year.

♦ Being afraid of lightning is referred to as astraphobia, and the science of lightning is called fulminology.

♦ Cloud to ground lightning accounts for about a quarter of strikes.

♦ Lightning searches for the shortest route to something with a positive charge when striking the ground. A lot of times this is a large tree, tall building and in some unlucky cases a human.

♦ Getting struck by lightning is not as rare as you think, it happens to thousands of people a year. If a human takes a direct strike from lightning, it’s usually fatal.

♦ The majority of lightning strikes happen over land and not the ocean. Around 70% of total lightning strikes occur in the tropics.

♦ A typical lightning strike lasts for 1 to 2 microseconds.

♦ There are millions of volts of electricity in lightning strikes.

♦ Lighting is very, very hot. It can average as much as 20,000 degrees C (36,000 degrees F)

♦ Lightning bolts are actually hotter than the surface of the sun. The surface of the sun is around 10,000 degrees F.

♦ No matter the weather, lightning can exist. Tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, dust storms, snow storms and forest fires are all situations where lighting will occur.

♦ Lightning is so awesome, there is an NHL hockey team named after them. The Tampa Bay Lightning!

Lightning Facts For Kids

Awesome Lightning And Electricity Learning

There are many things out there that teach you all about lightning and how electricity works. Check out the items below to see how amazing and fun lightning and electricity can be to learn about!

Lightning Facts For Kids

Tips To Be Safe During A Lightning Storm

Lightning is very dangerous. It’s important that you understand what to do when a lightning storm comes. Especially if you happen to be caught outdoors. Mother nature is beautiful and truly wondrous. But it’s important to respect the power that comes with all her beauty. Here are some tips on how to be safe during a lightning storm, on lightning facts for kids.

Stay Alert

Watch your local weather conditions to understand if there is a chance of a storm, or one rolling in.
Towering clouds with a cauliflower shape, distant rumblings and dark skies are all things to look for. Do not wait until you see lighting to take shelter, by then it may be too late.

Find Shelter

A large enclosed shelter is best when a lightning storm arrives.
If you happen to be inside a vehicle when the storm arrives, stay inside and roll your windows up.
Avoid small shelters like pavilions.
Keep as much distance as possible (at least a few feet) from things like appliances, electric boxes, outlets, showers, open windows, sinks and toilets. Believe it or not, electricity from a lightning strike can “jump” from these objects to a person.
Do not take a bath or shower during a lightning storm.
You can use cell phones not connected to a line during a storm, but you want to avoid using a land line. The electric charge from a lightning strike can travel through the telephone wires.

Being Caught Outside

There are signs you can watch for that will tell you a lightning strike may be getting ready to hit close to you. If your hair stands up on end and your skin begins to tingle crouch down on the balls of your feet with your feet close together. Without touching your knees or hands to the ground get as low as possible. DO NOT LAY DOWN!
If you happen to be in water when you see the dark skies forming, get to land as soon as possible and seek shelter.
If you are stuck in a boat, crouch down in the middle of the boat as low as possible.
If you are on land, find a spot away from long objects, pipes, fences, trees or any metal objects and as low as possible.
If you are in the forest, find an area with the shortest trees and get as far away from the tree trunks as you can.

Lightning Facts For Kids

Amazing Video About Lightning!

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Lightning Facts For Kids

Facts About Lightning For Kids Conclusion

Lightning is beautiful, powerful and can be very dangerous. It’s important to understand and respect it. I hope that you enjoyed all the amazing and cool lightning facts for kids today! Learning facts about lighting can be fun and very interesting. I hope that you are walking away from this page knowing more about lighting than when you arrived. Have an electric day!

Lightning Facts For kids