Film Science: Video Questions to Accompany: Lightning

1. The earth experiences about how many lightning strikes each minute?

2. Name two other powerful destructive weather phenomena.

3. What is the attitude of the scientists toward the control of their subject?

4. Before Ben Franklin's time, lightning was commonly thought to be what?

5. a) During what period did lightning chasers begin to do research?

b) Where was their laboratory?

6. What famous US landmark graphically disproves the statement: "Lightning never strikes twice."

7. A mature lightning bolt resembles what hydrologic feature?

8. Describe the evolution of a lightning bolt.

9. A lightning flash is how toasty?

10. What causes a thunderclap?

11. One lightning bolt's energy would power a 100W lamp for how long?

12. What major US event demonstrated the susceptibility of long distance power supply grids to lightning damage?

13. How does a large city like New York circumvent the possibility of imported power interruptions during electrical storms?

14. What locality has the dubious distinction of being the lightning capital of North America?

15. Researchers suspect that lightning enters a power supply system where?

16. Why are these scientists modern day Ben Franklins?

17. Charges are located where in a storm cloud?

18. Lightning flashes occur between what three areas?

19. Why are lightning bolt photographs examples of the art-science connection?

20. The film's editor may have used music to represent what moods?

21. One team suspected that lightning's energy might change sand and soil into what?

22. What is still the big question about lightning?

23. What is the largest category of lightning related deaths?

24. What are the body's sensations just before a lightning strike?

25. Why are you safer inside than outside a car in an electrical storm?

26. The balloon taught what important lesson about research to the scientists?

27. Why are electronic components in more danger inside modern airframes than inside old ones?

28. Why is a fulgurite a self-sculpture of a lightning bolt?

29. What seems to excite lightning scientists more, the doing or the data?