Monday, October 17, 2011

The Truth About Lightning

I've been working on a new book project.  This novel is a departure from The Soulkeepers world but still in the young adult genre.  I can't talk about it yet because it's morphing into something bigger every day, a baby growing into teenager with each chapter.  Let's just say the book is electrifying in more ways than one.

In researching this work, I've come across some interesting facts about lightning.

-Lightning can and does strike twice in the same place.  In fact, if you see a lightning bolt flicker, it is probably multiple bolts striking one right after another.

-The temperature of lightning is 15,000-60,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That's hotter than the surface of the sun at a measly 9,000 degrees.

-Lightning has a current as high as 300,000 amps. (Your house's electrical wiring carries around 30 amps). Scientists are studying ways to capture this power and store it for use as an alternative energy source but because lightning strikes at 62,000 miles per SECOND, it's darn hard to build something that can contain that much power in so little time.  Plus you'd have to know exactly where it would strike.

-With all that power, it's amazing that 400 people live through being struck by lightning each year. And it's not because of the rubber soles on their shoes. That's on old wives tale.  They don't help at all.

-Mutual attraction causes lightning. Positively charged particles on the ground reach up to the negatively charged ones on the bottom of the cloud and ZAP - an amazing transformation occurs.

Hmmm.  Deadly power, mutual attraction, heat, and speed. I can't wait to be able to share more with you.

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