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Mini-Quiz: Static Electricity and Lightning

by Ron Kurtus (updated 30 May 2023)

Take this Mini-Quiz to check your understanding of the lesson material.

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1. How do the electrical charges in a cloud become separated?

Opposite charges repel, moving them apart in the cloud

Winds in the cloud blow the lighter positive particles upward, away from the heavier negative particles

The Earth's magnetic field separates the charges

2. What starts the electrons moving through the air?

The air ionizes due to the strong electric field

Extreme turbulence in the clouds move the electrons through the air

Thunder shocks the electrons with a sonic boom

3. What is the greatest benefit of lightning?

It helps to naturally fertilize the soil

It kills many people and starts forest fires

Lightning is fun to watch

If you got all three correct, you are on your way to becoming a Champion in Physics. If you had problems, you had better look over the material again.

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Power can be awesome

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Resources and references

Ron Kurtus' Credentials

Websites

What Causes Lightning? - Weather Questions website

Lightning Voltages - Hypertextbook website

Static Electricity Resources

Books

(Notice: The School for Champions may earn commissions from book purchases)

Top-rated books on Electrostatics

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Students and researchers

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mini-quiz_static_lightning.htm

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Where are you now?

School for Champions

Electricity topics

Mini-Quiz: Static Electricity and Lightning

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Static Electricity topics

Basics

• Basics of Static Electricity

Causes

• Causes of Static Electricity
• Materials that Cause Static Electricity

Detection

• Static Electricity Forces
• Detection of Static Electricity

Creation

• Generating Static Electricity
• Electrostatic Induction

Sparks and shocks

• Static Electricity Sparks
• Static Electricity and Lightning
• Lightning Protection System
• Static Electricity Shocks

Controlling

• Controlling Static Electricity
• Preventing Static Electricity Shocks
• Controlling Static Cling
• Controlling Flyaway Hair

Uses

• Uses for Static Electricity

Also see

• Graded Static Electricity Test
• Physics Survey Results
• Astronomy
• Chemistry

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