How Do Storms Create Lightning?

Storms create lightning when big clouds rub together and build up energy like a giant battery.

Imagine you're playing with your friend in the sandbox. You both grab piles of sand and throw them at each other. The more you throw, the more charged up you get, until BOOM! you both jump back from the mess and laugh.

In a storm, clouds do something similar. When water droplets and ice particles crash into each other inside a cloud, they create electricity. One part of the cloud becomes positive, like when you rub a balloon on your hair and it sticks to the wall. The other part becomes negative, like when your friend grabs the opposite end of the sandbox.

Eventually, the energy gets so strong that it jumps from one place to another, ZAP! That’s lightning!

Sometimes lightning stays inside the cloud, that’s called sheet lightning. Other times, it jumps from the cloud to the ground, like a giant spark between two friends playing tag.

So next time you see a flash in the sky, remember: it's just a storm having a big, electric game of tag!