Understanding Lightning and Its Challenges

Why is lightning not used to power our electrical grid despite its frequent occurrence?

• It is too expensive to harness.

• It is illegal to use natural phenomena for power.

• It is unpredictable and difficult to store.

• It is not powerful enough.

What is one of the main challenges in predicting where lightning will strike?

• Lightning strikes are intermittent and hard to predict.

• Lightning is attracted to water bodies.

• Lightning only strikes in rural areas.

• Lightning strikes are completely random.

What is the approximate electric potential of a lightning strike?

• 1 million volts

• 1 billion volts

• 1,000 volts

• 100 volts

How long does a typical lightning strike last?

• A few milliseconds

• A few seconds

• About a microsecond

• Several minutes

What would be required to store the energy from a lightning strike?

• Wind turbines

• Solar panels

• Super capacitors with special architecture

• Ordinary batteries