Chemistry ConnectionsEpisode #25  Welcome to Chemistry Connections, my name is Christopher Sawicki, and I am your host for episode #25. Today I will be discussing the chemistry of lightning. Segment 1: Introduction to lightningLighting, how lightning is produced and why Lighting gives of a smell and color Ionization: transfer of electrons to form an ion or from an ion Intramolecular forces: attractions between atoms in a molecule Intermolecular forces: attractions between entire molecules Segment 2: The Chemistry Behind lightningLightning Water and ice move around in the cloud, ice has a negative charge Updrafts and downdrafts in storms cause water molecules to collide which causes electrons to be separated from the molecules and move towards the bottom of the cloud Warm updrafts sweep positively charged molecules to the top of the cloud Updraft: current of air moving up Positive ions move towards the top of the cloud and creates an electric field Electrons are attracted to positive charged ions on the ground Can contain billions to trillions of electrons 1 billion volts of electricity Up to 5 billion Joules of energy Electrons are attracted to positive charged ions because they want to neutralize themselves. Protons move up and meet the electrons as they move down As electrons move down through during lightning, they crash into more molecules in the air, creating more ions This is why metals attract lightning because it has a sea of electrons and many positive charged ions. Smell The smell of thunderstorms is the result of ozone in the air As lightning travels down, it splits O2 molecules creating 2 oxygen atoms These oxygen atoms then bond with other O2 molecules creating ozone, O3 Color Creates a blue-violet color highlighting the lightning bolt Electrons form lightning ionize O2 and N2 molecules  These molecules become excited and take on a different color when in this state Heat The electrons in lightning carry heat.  Lightning can be up to 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Which is 6 times hotter than the sun Intramolecular forces Air is a poor conductor electricity Conductor means it it is easy for electrons to pass through Not ionic or metallic, covalent bonds make electrons not as attracted and easily given or pulled off Because air is a poor conductor of electricity, there is a greater resistance to the electrons moving through the air, which creates heat, heating up the molecules are the lightning Segment 3: Personal ConnectionsLightning fascinates me because clouds form seemingly out of nothing, evaporated water and produce lighting bolts with billions of electrons Enough electricity and energy to kill people 2000 people die a year due to lightning Always thought lightning was cool and wanted to know what cause lightning to occur Thank you for listening to this episode of Chemistry Connections. For more student-ran podcasts and digital content, make sure that you visit http://www.hvspn.com (www.hvspn.com).  Sources:https://www.compoundchem.com/2018/07/31/thunderstorms/ (https://www.compoundchem.com/2018/07/31/thunderstorms/) https://www.chemistryislife.com/the-chemistry-of-lightning (https://www.chemistryislife.com/the-chemistry-of-lightning) https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/storms/thunder-and-lightning (https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/storms/thunder-and-lightning) https://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/weather/weather.html#:~:text=Therefore%2C%20any%20electrons%20liberated%20near,and%20creating%20more%20charged%20fragments (https://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/weather/weather.html#:~:text=Therefore%2C%20any%20electrons%20liberated%20near,and%20creating%20more%20charged%20fragments). https://www.tau.ac.il/~colin/research/Chemistry/chemistry.html (https://www.tau.ac.il/~colin/research/Chemistry/chemistry.html) Music CreditsWarm Nights by @LakeyInspired