Why does lightning often strike high points on the ground?

Question

Physics prep, Is it sumthing about a positive charge from the ground..??

Answer 1

The electrical discharge will be made in the shortest gap between the positive and negative charges.  Higher ground or other conductive structures with positive charges are closer to the clouds in which the negative charges collect.

Answer 2

Basically, yes.

The cloud builds up a great deal of negative charge on it's underside which induces a positive charge on the ground below. The charge will then flow.

Most lightning goes from cloud to cloud though - only a small part actually strikes the ground. When it does go to the ground it will take the shortest route available to it e.g. through a tall building or tree.

Answer 3

Negative charges build up at the bottom of the storm cloud. This is a good general rule to remember. Now, according to the Law of Charges, positive charges and negative charges are attracted to each other. So, on the ground, negative charges try to move further away from the negatively charged cloud while positive charges move in to take their place. You will notice that tall, pointy objects tend to get hit by lightning the most. This is due to the relatively small surface area of pointy objects when compared to flat-topped surfaces. The flow of charges is vastly easier when surface area is reduced.