LIGHTNING IN A PAN

An Investigatory and Exploratory Project Presented to the Faculty of Westfield Science-Oriented School Las Pias

In Partial fulfillment of The Requirements in Physics II

Katrina Michelle T. PIllada IV- Mapa

March 2011 WESTFIELD Science-Oriented School and Colleges CERTIFICATION OF THE PROJECT This is to certify that we have read the individual project entitled LIGHTNING IN A PAN The researcher has successfully completed and defended her Science Project before a panel Recommendation: [ ] Approved [ ] Passed with revision [ ] Redefense _____________________ Member of the panel Joebert Angeles Subject Teacher ____________________ Member of the panel

Noted and Approved by: _________________

____________________

_________________

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Edith S. Bunuan, Ed. D. Albert C. Abitria Oscar R. Tangco HS Principal President/CEO Academic Coordinator Abstract The title of this investigatory project is the lightning in a pan. The researcher conducted this study because she wanted to know how lightning is formed. First, rub the styrofoam quickly with the wool sock. Push the thumb tack through the pie plate and push the end of the pen onto the tack. Pick up the aluminum pie plate with the pen and put it down on top of the styrofoam. As you rub the styrofoam it steals electrons from the wool and becomes negatively charged. Because like charges repel and opposite charges attract the excess electrons on the styrofoam repel the electrons on the pie plate. The pen is used as an insulator, preventing the built up charge from moving through you. It is therefore concluded that when two negatively charged particles interact they repel and form a shock

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The researcher would like to thank the following for the help they have extended to her in accomplishing this investigatory project: God - for supporting her and giving her the strength to finish this project, in helping her parents provide financially to be able to buy all the needed materials to complete this project. Parents - for all the support -- not just financially but more so for the encouragement given to her in order to help her finish this project. They have always been there whenever the researcher feels like giving up. Mr. Joebert Angeles - for helping her understand more her Investigatory Project and for extending to her even the support and patience he has helped her also in the editing of this paper..

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Table of Contents Title page...........i Certification of the Project..........ii Abstract........iii Acknowledgement......iv Table of Contents.......v Chapter I. Problem and Its Background..1 Introduction........1 Objectives of the Study........2 Statement of the Problem........2 Hypotheses....2 Scope and the Delimitation.............2 Significance of the Study.........3 Definition of Terms...........3 Chapter II. Review of Related Literature...........5 Chapter III. Methodology......8 Materials........8 Procedures........8 Chapter IV. Results and Discussions........8 Chapter V. Conclusions and Recommendations........10 Conclusions.....10 Recommendations.....10 Bibliography.........11

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Appendix...12

Chapter I. PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND Introduction Have you ever wondered how a lightning is formed? Or when does it occur? Lightning happens when the negative charges (electrons) in the bottom of the cloud are attracted to the positive charges (protons) in the ground. The accumulation of electric charges has to be great enough to overcome the insulating properties of air. When this happens, a stream of negative charges pours down towards a high point where positive charges have clustered due to the pull of the thunderhead. The connection is made and the protons rush up to meet the electrons. It is at that point that we see lightning and hear thunder. A bolt of lightning heats the air along its path causing it to expand rapidly. Thunder is the sound caused by rapidly expanding air. Lightning comes from thunderclouds, known as cumulonimbus, which are created when hot moist air rises into the atmosphere and condenses. the hot air mingles with colder air, and the moisture condenses into water droplets. Clouds are created when these water droplets become visible. The droplets increase in size as the cloud grows and eventually become so heavy that they fall as rain. The researcher conducted this study because she wants to know how lightning is formed. And if it is possible to make a miniature version of lightning.

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Objectives of the Study The general goal of this investigatory project is to know how lightning is formed. The researcher was able to come up with the following objectives of the study: 1. To prove we can make a miniature version of lightning. 2. To determine the relationship between resistance and amount of light.

Statement of the Problem The focus of the study is the in the formation of lightning. It seeks to answer the following questions: 1. Is it possible to build a miniature Lightning? 2. how is lightning formed?

Hypotheses The researcher formulates the following hypotheses: 1. It is possible to build a miniature lightning. 2. Lightning is formed from the build up of electrons in the cloud and needs to get rid of atoms. It sends atoms down creating heat and light.

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Scope and Delimitation The study focuses in building a miniature lightning. The main problem of this study is how lightning is formed. The project can be done in to one to two days. The reference that I have used was www.sciencebuddies.com. Significance of the Study Parents. They can help their children to learn more about lightning in a much simpler way. Physics Teachers. They can use this experiment as one of the project of their students. Students. They can make this as their Investigatory Project but the researcher recommends. Definition of Terms Lightning. The visible flash of light accompanying such a discharge. Electron. The electron is a subatomic particle carrying a negative electric charge. It has no known components or substructure. Insulator. A material that insulates, especially a nonconductor of sound, heat, or electricity. Resistor. A device used to control current in an electric circuit by providing resistance.

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Chapter II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Lightning forms from the build up of electrons or negative charges in the cloud or the ground and needs to get rid of atoms. Since protons and electrons attract, it sends down atoms to the ground creating heat and light. Once there is enough charge build up between the cloud and the ground a stepped leader (with a negative charge) will start toward the ground. The stepped leader is a dim 50 yard long "streak" of lightning starting from the cloud. The stepped leader will continue toward the ground in steps of 50 yards. Each stepped leader takes about 50 millionths of a second to start branching off into one or more additional stepped leaders. As the stepped leader(s) near the ground, the positively charged earth and objects on earth start to be attracted to the stepped leader. In a human, if you have your hair standing on end you are being attracted to the stepped leader of a lightning strike. Once the stepped leader reaches one of the positively charged streams from the ground the positive charges we get what we all now know a as lightning, a bright stream in the sky that has several branches. The positive charges going up to the cloud are actually where we see the bright lightning, this is also know as the return stroke. When the return stroke reaches the cloud, if there are still more negative charges left the lightning will continue with negative charges being taken to the ground and another return stroke taking positive charges to the cloud.

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Lightning happens when the negative charges (electrons) in the bottom of the cloud are attracted to the positive charges (protons) in the ground. The accumulation of electric charges has to be great enough to overcome the insulating properties of air. When this happens, a stream of negative charges pours down towards a high point where positive charges have clustered due to the pull of the thunderhead. The connection is made and the protons rush up to meet the electrons. It is at that point that we see lightning and hear thunder. A bolt of lightning heats the air along its path causing it to expand rapidly. Thunder is the sound caused by rapidly expanding air. Lightning comes from thunderclouds, known as cumulonimbus, which are created when hot moist air rises into the atmosphere and condenses. Hot air rises when heated by the sun, carrying water vapor into the sky. As it rises, the hot air mingles with colder air, and the moisture condenses into water droplets. Clouds are created when these water droplets become visible. The droplets increase in size as the cloud grows and eventually become so heavy that they fall as rain. Thunderclouds are large, anvil-shaped masses that can stretch miles across at the base, and reach 40,000 feet or more into the atmosphere The genesis of lightning is a subject of great theoretical debate, says Dr. Vladimir Rakov of the Lightning Research Center at the University of Florida. We know that electrical charges build up within thunderclouds, but there is no single theory that fully describes why. One commonly discussed thesis suggests that

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small cloud particles acquire a positive charge, while other larger particles become negatively charged. part of the cloud becomes positively charged. Chapter III. METHODOLOGY Materials The materials used in this study were 1 aluminum plate, 1 Ball-point pen, Thumb tacks, Wool sock, And a Piece of Styrofoam

Procedures First, push the thumb tack up through the centre of the plate. Push the end of The pen onto the tack. Secure it with glue if necessary. Rub the styrofoam quickly with the wool sock. Pick up the aluminum plate with the pen and put it down on top of the Styrofoam.

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Chapter IV.RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Based on the gathered observations and data during the experimentation the following results were observed. As you rub the Styrofoam, it steals electrons from the wool and becomes negatively charged. Because like charges repel (move apart) and opposite charges attract (move together), the excess electrons on the Styrofoam repel the electrons on the pie plate and push them to the top edge of the plate. The pen acts as an insulator, preventing the built-up charge from moving through you to the ground until you are ready. When you bring your finger close to the edge of the plate, the repelled electrons jump across the gap and escape through your body, giving you a small shock. When you turn off the lights, you should be able to see (as well as hear and feel) the discharge.

The attraction, or electrical potential, between the positive and negative charges eventually grows strong enough to overcome the air's resistance to electrical flow. Racing toward each other, the charges connect, completing an electrical circuit, and discharging the accumulated electricity as lightning. Cloud-to-cloud lightning is the most common form of electrical discharge. Only about one-third of all discharges are cloud-to-ground. Bolts that shoot from cloud-to-air, known as "bolts from the blue," are even less common, but can strike up to 10 miles away.

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When the current is discharged, it is accompanied by a flash containing millions of volts of electricity. This is a huge amount of energy, and the surrounding air is heated up to 54,000 Fahrenheit, five times hotter than the surface temperature of the Sun. The rapidly expanding heated air also produces tremendous shock waves, which become audible as the sound of thunder.

Although the flash and resulting thunder occur at essentially the same time, light travels at 186,000 miles per second, almost a million times faster than the speed of sound. The flash, if not obscured by clouds, is seen long before the thunder is heard.

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Chapter V. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Conclusions Based on the Study investigated, the following conclusions were drawn: 1. It is possible to build a simple a miniature lightning. Thus hypothesis number 1 is now accepted. 2. Lightning is formed when negative charges are attracted to positive charges. A stream of negative charges pours down towards a high point where positive charges have clustered. Hence, hypothesis number 2 is now accepted.

Recommendations Based on the study done, the following recommendations were made: 1. Other students can use this as their title of their investigatory project. 2. teachers can use this in their teaching 3. Students will learn more about lightning 4. Students will have an idea on how lightning is formed

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Bibliography http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fairprojects/project_ideas/Elec_p056.shtml

Lawrence Hall of Science. Grade 4 Science Resources. Learning More About Magnetism and Electricity. Delta Education, 2007, p. 68.

This source provides an animation of the miniature lightning:

Harris, T. (2008). How Dimmer Switches Work. Retrieved December 11, 2008, from http://home.howstuffworks.com/dimmer-switch.htm

This source provides a discussion and an example of lighting

Stutz, M. (2000). How lightning relate. Retrieved December 12, 2008, from http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_2/1.html

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Appendix

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