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People have some unusual ideas to explain thunder and lightning. Have you heard any of these? Some families say thunder is elves bowling up in the sky. Others think the sky is angrily aggressive when it thunders or that kids are up in heaven stomping their feet. Have you ever heard someone say that lightning is God playing with the flashlight on His smartphone? Thousands of years ago, people thought lightning was the gods being angry. None of these ideas are true.
What is thunder and lighting? Cumulonimbus clouds (dark thunderclouds) have small ice crystals and rain droplets that each contain a tiny bit of electricity. The electricity builds up and intensifies until a lightning bolt strikes! Lightning is electricity, and the lightning bolts travel to the ground in a flash! The lightning makes the air super hot. That hot air expands incredibly quickly. That’s what makes the loud rumbling of thunder. Light travels faster than sound waves, so you do not hear the thunder immediately.
How do people stay safe in a lightning storm? You can't stop lightning from coming, but you CAN prepare and stay safe. If you are outside or swimming, immediately go inside. If you’re ever in a field and you can’t get to shelter, DON’T be the highest thing in the field. Lightning strikes the highest thing. If you’re driving, you should be in a car. If lightning strikes the car, it will go through the car instead of you. Indoors, stay away from anything that is connected to wires. Don’t shower or bathe during a lightning storm, because electricity could travel through the metal.
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