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Hi, I'm William Jeffries with more science news you can use.

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Okay, now you've got my attention. What's the question?

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What causes a lightning flash? Let's figure it out.

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Rain clouds get charged up, sort of like a battery.

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The top of the cloud is positive, the bottom is negative.

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Opposites attract.

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Lightning is what you see when this built-up energy suddenly discharges or sparks.

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Why does lightning strike the Earth?

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If the bottom of a rain cloud is negatively charged, it can cause or induce a positive charge on the Earth below.

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Lightning strikes the Earth every second of the day.

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That's about 10 million lightning strikes in a single day. Got it?

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Loud and clear.

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Until next time, I'm William Jeffries with more science news you can use.

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Science News