Novotny 1

Thaddeus Novotny

T/Th 3:00-4:15

6 November, 2012

Lenzer

Topic: The shocking truth

General Purpose: To inform
Specific Purpose: To inform my classmates about lightning
Central Idea: Today I would like to inform you all about the age-old phenomena known as lightning by
first explaining what it is, then explaining the different types, and finally giving you advice on how to
avoid it.
Introduction
Attention-getter- On October 31, 2005, 68 cows were killed instantly from a single bolt of lightning. A
single bolt! This may have been due to the fact that each lightning strike has enough power to light up
10 million light bulbs and is 3 times as hot as the sun.
Credibility material-As a science major, the phenomena of lightning has certainly struck my attention,
and through hours of research, I now have a working knowledge of lightning that I would like to share
with all of you.
Relevance to audience-Lightning is in no shape a rare occurrence. According to a scientist at the DOE
office of science, it is estimated that at any given point in time there are around 2,000 lightning storms
worldwide. This equals out to around 100 lightning strikes per second! On a darker note, in the United
States between 100-300 people are killed every year from lightning, and over 1,500 more are injured.
Preview of speech- Today I would like to inform you all about the age-old phenomena known as
lightning by first explaining what it is, then explaining the different types, and finally giving you advice on
how to avoid it.
(link from introduction: So what is lightning)
I.

Lightning is a basically a larger scale of static electricity.

a. Its very similar to dragging your feet along the carpet and then shocking someone.
b. Except instead of the two surfaces being the carpet and socks, the static is being
formed by the friction between clouds.
1. As the clouds rub against each other, the lower cloud removes electrons from
the upper cloud giving the lower cloud a negative charge.
2. Without any other place to go, these electrons jump from the cloud through the
path of least resistance to a surface, being a telephone pole, building, tree, or
even a person. Basically anything with an opposite charge.
c. This movement of electrons happens all in under a second.

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d. With so much power in such a short amount of time, it heats its path up along the
way, which creates a plasma. This is what we perceive as a lightning bolt.
(link: Now that you know the basics of what lightning is, lets move on to the different types
of lightning)
II.

Types of lightning
a. Cloud to ground
1. This very common type of lightning is what most people think of when they hear
about lightning.
2. This is the build up of electrons jumping from a charged cloud to the oppositely
charged surface near the ground.
b. Cloud to cloud
1. Very similar to cloud to ground except that the transfer of energy is from the
charged cloud to an uncharged one.
c. Heat lightning
1. Is sometime misconstrued as lighting cause from warm days
2. In fact it is just a normal lightning storm but is seen at a distance.
d. Double lightning strike
1. This happens when two leaders of the lightning find a striking spot at the same time.
2. The electrons are released simultaneously to the two different spots.

(link: At this point you now know the dangers of lightning and its different types, but how do you avoid
being struck by it?)
III.

How do you avoid it?

a. Stay inside
1. This is the number one rule! Stay inside during lightning storms and you should be
safe.
a. With exceptions as I will explain shortly.
b. Make sure that you stay inside at least 30 minutes after a lightning storm
passes.
c. Lightning has hit in the middle of bright blue sunny days before.
b. Dont use the shower
1. This is probably the worst thing you could do during a storm.
2. If a lightning bolt does hit your house when you are in the shower, due to the
copper pipes and water, the charge could travel right through the shower head and
into you.
3. Avoid using plumbing such as faucets.
c. Do not go to the beach
1. Lightning tends to go out of its way to reach beaches for unknown reasons

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2. Interesting fact: After a lightning storm you can walk along the beach and find fresh
glass made from the high temperatures of the lightning strike.
d. If you are outside and find yourself caught in a lightning storm, crouch as low to the
ground as possible.
1. A commonly known myth is that you are supposed to crouch under tall objects. This
is false, tall objects attract lightning and that will just attract the lightning bolts
closer to you.
2. Another related myth is that lightning does not hit the same place twice. This is also
not true shown by buildings that get hit time and time again.
IV.

Conclusion
Summary statement-Lightning is one of natures most powerful forces, A very abundant
and deadly force. The thing about lightning is it follows the rules of electricity but it is
not very predictable. Hopefully, some of what I have said has been engrained into your
heads about what lightning is, what types to look for, and how to keep yourself safe
from it.
Audience response statement-yes, it is a beautiful sight, but is it something that is worth
losing your life over? A picture may be worth a million words, but to me it is not worth
my life.
WOW statement- I know that personally I love to sit outside and watch lightning storms,
listening to the thunder as it rolls by. But perhaps next time I will find myself sitting
behind a plate of glass, enjoying the storm from the comfort and safety of my own
home, Especially now that I know the spectacular and incredible power of what has
come to be known as lightning.

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References
Administrator. (2012). Stuff you didn't know about lightning. Retrieved from
http://visual.ly/interesting-facts-lightning
Fewings, M. (1998, September 13). How to avoid being struck by lightning. Retrieved
from http://strikeone.com.au/avoid/avoid.htm
lane, P. (1999). Frequency of lightning strikes to people. Retrieved from
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen99/gen99019.htm
Sohn, E. (2011, July 29). When lightning strikes out of a blue sky. Retrieved from
http://news.discovery.com/earth/lightning-on-clear-day-110729.html
Zavisa, J. (2011). How lightning works. Retrieved from
http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/lightning.htm