HOW does LIGHTNING burn us?

Question

is there fire on , or in the lighting for it to be able to burn us ?

and how COULD it burn us ? & why ?

Answer 1

Lightning is an atmospheric discharge of electricity, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms.  In the atmospheric electrical discharge, a leader of a bolt of lightning can travel at speeds of 60,000 m/s, and can reach temperatures approaching 30,000 °C (54,000 °F), hot enough to fuse silica sand into petrified lightning, known scientifically as glass channels or fulgurites which are normally hollow and can extend some distance into the ground  There are over 16 million lightning storms every year. The chance of being struck by lightning is approximately 576,000 to 1 and the chance of actually being killed by lightning is approximately 2,320,000 to 1.

Lightning can also occur within the ash clouds from volcanic eruptions, or can be caused by violent forest fires which generate sufficient dust to create a static charge.

How lightning initially forms is still a matter of debate] Scientists have studied root causes ranging from atmospheric perturbations (wind, humidity, friction, and atmospheric pressure) to the impact of solar wind and accumulation of charged solar particles.Ice inside a cloud is thought to be a key element in lightning development, and may cause a forcible separation of positive and negative charges within the cloud, thus assisting in the formation of lightning.

Hope this helps.

-Penny =)

Answer 2

Hi:If U stick your finger into an electrical outlet  your body acts as a path way to the ground (your body acts as ground) the electricty has to flow somewhere.When u r struck by lightining is the same as using your body like a ground, but U may just be in the path of the strike by misfortune and not because U (stuck your body) in the path of the strike. The lighting didn't know U where there, it's not a random accurance. So the burn is cause by the lenght of time u r exposed, the amount of ampeier and how well u r grounded..Is lightining a flame? not what we consider as a flame but a condenced electrical charged brought on by atmosphereic conditions. At the point of impact ( direct hit) the soft flesh on the body heats up (time of exposure)and is fried from the charge of current because the bolt wanted to go to ground and U were in the way..if u weren't in the way and it went to the earths surface, the bolt would be absorbed by the greater object and sometime leaving a burn mark..If we knew how to harness lightining we could power many homes. have a good day.

Answer 3

Lightening is electricty and is at abuot 1000 degrees.