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From: szarekw@lonexc.radc.af.mil (William J. Szarek)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: HELP!
Summary: Static means "doesn't move"
Message-ID: <1991Feb7.123836.992@lonex.radc.af.mil>
Date: 7 Feb 91 12:38:36 GMT
References: <1991Jan28.055428.11686@wam.umd.edu> <880@nih-csl.nih.gov> <jls.665875773@yoda>
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In article <jls.665875773@yoda> jls@yoda.Rational.COM (Jim Showalter) writes:
>1) Lightning is static electricity, writ large. It kills. Nuff said.
>

Lightning is *not* static electricity.  Lightning is *caused* by static electricity.
When you see lightning it is the *conduction* of an electrical current from
the ground to the sky.  The light you see is the ionization of the air. 

The electrical current present in lightning is VERY LARGE.  

-buzz