blog # 3 for independent project

I was excited to discover that when I held a charged balloon (I rubbed it on my hair to charge it) near a metal doorknob, it created a visible and audible spark! When I did the experiment wiht the lights off, I could see a blue spark. I think this proves that lightning is attracted to metal.

I originally set out to answer some questions about lightning with my experiments, and I think many of them were answered.

What causes lightning?

I think my experiments with top and bottom tapes have proven that in order for objects to be attracted to each other, they must have opposite charges. I think I can imply from this that lightning does require opposite charges of some sort to be created. I think the charges might come from the hot and cold air in the atmosphere during a storm.

Are the statements about lighting being attracted to water and metal true?

I think the statement that lightning is attracted to metal is true. I think this was proven by the spark I was able to create between the balloon and metal doorknob.

The statement about lightning being attracted to water is false. In my experiments with water, the balloon did not sway towards the water. I also researched this topic and found that pure water does not attract lightning. The particles in water are what attract the lighting. Other articles said that the danger of being struck by lightning while in the water is because a person in water is above the surface of the water, and therefore closer to the lighting bolt.

Are there other factors that affect where lightning strikes?

During my experiments with the balloon, the closer I brought the balloon to an object, the more likely it was to sway towards the object and come in contact with it. In other words, the balloon had to be within a certain distance of an object in order to be attracted to the object. In addition, in creating a spark with the balloon and metal doorknob, the spark did not occur until the balloon was touching the metal doorknob. These facts lead me to believe that distance of an object does affect the likelihood of being struck by lighting. The closer an object is to lightning (or in my experiments, the balloon) the more likely it is to attract that object. This theory would account for the reasons why lightning seems to strike objects that are high in the air. It would also explain why lighting hit the highest part of my grandparent’s house during the storms last spring.