Question
The upper part of a thunderstorm cloud is normally — charged, and the middle and lower parts are — charged
The correct answer is
positively, negatively
Thunderstorm Cloud Charge Distribution Explained
Thunderstorm clouds exhibit a distinct electrical charge separation due to complex microphysical processes involving ice particles and water droplets.
- Upper Part: The upper region of a thunderstorm cloud is typically positively charged. This results from the collision and interaction between smaller ice crystals and larger hailstones (graupel). Lighter ice crystals tend to get carried upward by updrafts, accumulating a net positive charge in the cloud's upper levels.
- Middle and Lower Parts: The middle and lower portions of the cloud are predominantly negatively charged. The heavier graupel particles, having collided with ice crystals and acquired negative charges, tend to fall or remain in the lower and middle sections of the cloud.
Therefore, the typical charge distribution is positive in the upper part and negative in the middle and lower parts.
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Important Questions from Atmospheric Electricity
- Thunder storm electrification occurs efficiently in clouds that are composed
The sequence of events in a cloud to ground electrical discharge is
- In the global electrical circuit, the negative charge on the Earth is maintained predominantly by
- Electrical discharge suddenly heats the conducting air channel in the Earth's atmosphere, which expands and generates shock waves. These waves spread as
- Fair weather electrical field near the Earth's surface is typically about
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