Page 264 - Canadian BC Science 9

At the end of a hot, muggy summer day in Kelowna, dark storm clouds form overhead. Suddenly, a bright fork of light streaks through the sky. A deafening roar of thunder quickly follows. A few seconds later, another lightning bolt illuminates the night.
Lightning looks like a giant spark. The sparks you create when you shuffle across the floor and touch metal are tiny when compared to lightning. By studying sparks, both big and small, scientists have gained an understanding of the properties of electric charge. When the large amount of energy stored in electric charge is controlled, it can be used for many different purposes.
246 MHR • Unit 3 Characteristics of Electricity