Quizzes & Puzzles20 mins ago
Lightning noises
I was watching a storm last night.
One particular lightning stroke was very close (frighteningly close!). I thought I heard a little 'zzzzzz' noise, like sparking electricity, quite faint, then a fraction of second later, the 'crack'. Which frightened me to death, it was so close and loud.
Would the 'zzzzzz' actually happen, or am I imagining it?!
One particular lightning stroke was very close (frighteningly close!). I thought I heard a little 'zzzzzz' noise, like sparking electricity, quite faint, then a fraction of second later, the 'crack'. Which frightened me to death, it was so close and loud.
Would the 'zzzzzz' actually happen, or am I imagining it?!
Answers
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.This, from numerous websites, SteveSxx: The energy contained in a single lightning stroke can power a 100 Watt light bulb for 90 days, which is equivalent to 215 kWh (kilo-Watt hours).
This is the full URL for this article... http://www.lightningtalks.com/lightningfacts.h tm
Maybe that you're talking Volts and I'm speaking of watts as a reference... Thanks!
This is the full URL for this article... http://www.lightningtalks.com/lightningfacts.h tm
Maybe that you're talking Volts and I'm speaking of watts as a reference... Thanks!
Yes, I live north of Derby.
I'me half convinced SteveSxx, but surely at least part of the 'crack' would have been very close to me, as close as the 'zzzzz' was.
Does it take a finite amount of time for the air to be heated enough to make the 'crack', I wonder.
I would guess the delay between the two was around � second.
I'me half convinced SteveSxx, but surely at least part of the 'crack' would have been very close to me, as close as the 'zzzzz' was.
Does it take a finite amount of time for the air to be heated enough to make the 'crack', I wonder.
I would guess the delay between the two was around � second.
Your units are all in a jumble, Clanad (and hello again in a different context!). Kilowatts are a measure of power and kilowatt-hours a measure of energy.
It isn't clear what you mean when you say that an overhead line 'transmits' 250KW of power. You cannot mean along its length otherwise we would be in darkness most of the night. If you mean by radiation into the space around it then over what length, at at what voltage?
For a (say) 50 megavolt lightning strike to generate only 250 kilowatts the current involved would be only 50 milliamps! Hardly the sort of current to fell trees or cause severe burns in animals.
It isn't clear what you mean when you say that an overhead line 'transmits' 250KW of power. You cannot mean along its length otherwise we would be in darkness most of the night. If you mean by radiation into the space around it then over what length, at at what voltage?
For a (say) 50 megavolt lightning strike to generate only 250 kilowatts the current involved would be only 50 milliamps! Hardly the sort of current to fell trees or cause severe burns in animals.
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