BoomBy: Sarah and Natalie

What causes lightning?

Materials 9 inch round

balloons 4 inch balloons Pin Lunch bags Duct tape Long/skinny balloon Can of Coke Tap water

Steps of Investigation First, we blew up the balloons. Second, we popped the balloons and

the water balloons. Third, we did the can of warm Coke. Forth, we did the long balloons. Last of all we blew into and popped

the lunch bags.

Step One In Detail

First we blew up all the balloons. We blew up big balloons, little balloons and water balloons.

Step Two In DetailSecond, we popped most of the

balloons.

Step Three In Detail

Third, we opened a warm can of Coke. It fizzed a little bit.

Step Four in Detail

Fourth, we did the long, skinny balloons. It made a very loud sound when we popped it.

Step Four in Detail

Fourth, we did the long, skinny balloons. It made a very loud sound when we popped it.

Step Five in Detail

We filled water balloons with water. We used a pin to pop it. First it made little fountains. Then we tried it again because it did not seem right. It popped.

Last Step in Detail

We blew into lunch bags. Then we popped it with our hands. It made a loud sound.

Results and Conclusions Within a thundercloud, many small bits of ice bump into each other

as they swirl around in the air. All those collisions create an electrical charge, just like the one that built up in you when you cross the carpet.

After a while, the whole cloud fills up with electrical charges (usually with a negative charge closest to the earth). Since opposites attract each other, that causes a positive charge to build up on the ground beneath the cloud. The ground's electrical charge concentrates around anything that sticks up, such as mountains, lone trees, people, or even blades of grass. The charge streaming up from these points eventually connects with a charge reaching down from the clouds, and--zap!--lightning strikes.

The intense heat of the lightning bolt causes the surrounding air to explode outward with a gigantic boom--thunder.The air in the balloon wants to get out because its compressed. The same thing happens to create thunder. When you pop the balloon the air molecules have to move all around really fast creating a lot of energy. When lightning strikes, it also gives off energy that heats the air through which passes. This creates an explosion of sound called thunder.

Related topsic #1

How hot is lightning? Lightning is 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That is six times hotter than the surface of the sun!

Related Topic #2

How can you tell how far lightning is from you? You count the seconds between when you hear the thunder and see the lightning. Then you divide by five.

What we learned about God in our study

We learned that God has created the awesome and powerful lightning. We couldn't believe that anyone could make such powerful things. We praise him that we have such a great place to live in! Thank you God!

The End