Clouds build up plenty of moisture to produce rain, but when the atmosphere is unstable it also gains charge and can produce lightning!
Lightning is the simple process of balancing negatively and positively charged electrons in the atmosphere. We can do this on a small scale with electric shock on your finger when you and another object are oppositely charged.
Meteorologist Reece Cole visited Mrs. Boyle's third-grade science classrooms at Martin Public Schools to help students feel electric shocks. You can watch the science experiment in the video above.
Looking to try this at home? Here's what you'll need:
1. Paper plate
2. Aluminum pan
3. Thumbtack
4. Pencil
5. Wool Sock
Here's what to do:
Step 1: Put the thumb tack through the bottom of the aluminum pan, poking the eraser into the thumb tack.
Step 2: With the paper plate upside down on the table, rub the wool sock aggressively for two minutes against the paper plate. This builds up electric charges for shock.
Step 3: Using the pencil as your holder, move the aluminum pan onto the plate, then touch your finger to the pan to feel a small shock.
To enhance the experiment: Turn off the lights to see the electric charges jump from your finger to the pan, similar to how lightning transfers charges from the ground to the clouds!