Question

The streaks of bright light seen during lightning is essentially the path followed by:
(A) UV rays from Sun
(B) Cosmic rays
(C) Accumulated electric charges
(D) None of the above

Answer 1

Lightning occurs due to electrostatic discharge between the atmosphere and the ground. It is caused due to imbalances between storm clouds and the grounds, or between the clouds itself. Lightning occurs between two opposite charges.

Complete Step-By-Step Solution:
Lightning is a phenomenon observed in the atmosphere during storms. This happens when charged regions in the ground and in the atmosphere equalises themselves resulting in discharge of large amounts of electrical energies instantaneously.
Thus it occurs between opposite charges.
This charging that causes lightning occurs at the centre part of the storm. In this region as the temperature is very low, supercooled water droplets, ice crystals and graupel (soft hail) are formed. These supercooled droplets and the ice crystals tend to move upwards whereas the soft hail falls downwards. Due to this opposite movements, collision occurs. Due to this, the ice crystals becomes positively charged, on the other hand graupel becomes negatively charged. The positive charge particles are accumulated on the upper region of the storm cloud, whereas the negatively charged particles are deposited at the bottom part of the storm cloud.
Due to movement of the storm, there occurs movement of negatively charged particles, and thus electrical discharge is caused.
Often this electrical discharge takes place between the cloud and the ground, which results in lightning.

Hence, option (C) is correct.

Note:
Lightning is very harmful as it has caused many storm related deaths. It is observed that if a person is struck by lightning, it can result in death due to cardiac failure. Also some people have been seen to have delayed their death and later die due to brain injury.