ZAP! BOOM! POW! The Super-Hot Secret of Lightning!

Did you know that lightning is FIVE TIMES HOTTER than the surface of the sun? That’s right! When lightning flashes across the sky, it heats the air around it to an amazing 54,000°F (30,000°C)! The sun’s surface is only about 10,000°F. Wow!

What Makes Lightning So Hot?

Lightning is like a GIGANTIC spark of electricity. When dark storm clouds build up in the sky, they collect tiny electric charges. These charges get bigger and BIGGER until—ZAP!—they burst out as lightning!

When lightning zips through the air, it heats everything in its path super-duper fast. The air gets so hot that it glows bright white and makes a big BOOM of thunder! The air expands so quickly that it creates a shock wave – that’s what makes the thunder sound we hear!

Lightning Facts That Will Shock You!

• A single bolt of lightning could power a light bulb for THREE MONTHS!
• Lightning strikes the Earth about 100 times EVERY SECOND!
• The longest lightning bolt ever recorded stretched for 477 miles – that’s longer than the whole state of Florida!

Be Lightning Smart!

Even though lightning is amazing to watch, it can be dangerous. Always go inside during a thunderstorm. Remember: “When thunder roars, go indoors!”

Make Your Own Mini Lightning! (Static Electricity Experiment)

Want to see a tiny version of lightning that you can make yourself? Try this cool experiment with a grown-up’s help!

What You’ll Need:

• An inflated balloon
• Your hair (or a wooly sweater)
• A dark room
• A grown-up to help you

What To Do:

1. Inflate the balloon and tie it.
2. Turn off the lights to make the room as dark as possible.
3. Rub the balloon quickly back and forth on your hair or a wooly sweater for about 30 seconds.
4. Hold the balloon about 1 inch away from a wall and watch what happens!
5. For an extra cool effect, try slowly moving your finger close to the balloon (but not touching it) and see if you can spot a tiny spark!

What’s Happening?

When you rub the balloon on your hair, you’re creating static electricity – tiny charges just like the ones in storm clouds! The balloon will stick to the wall because of these charges. Sometimes, you might even see a tiny spark or hear a small crackling sound – that’s your very own mini lightning!

Remember, real lightning is MUCH more powerful than your balloon experiment. Never try to get close to real lightning during a storm – always stay safe indoors!

Did You Know?

Scientists who study lightning are called “fulminologists.” Can you say that five times fast? FUL-MIN-OL-O-GISTS!

Next time you see a lightning flash from the safety of your home, remember that you’re watching something hotter than the sun lighting up the sky. How COOL is that? (Or should we say, how HOT is that?)