Why is lightning zig zaggy?

Happy Storm Week! Today’s episode is all about lightning – that big spark of electricity that illuminates the sky during a storm. If you’ve ever drawn lightning on a piece of paper, you probably sketched it as a zig zag. So how does lightning get its iconic shape? We asked meteorologist Alan Sealls to help us find the answer.

Happy Storm Week! Today’s episode is all about lightning – that big spark of electricity that illuminates the sky during a storm. If you’ve ever drawn lightning on a piece of paper, you probably sketched it as a zig zag. So how does lightning get its iconic shape? We asked meteorologist Alan Sealls to help us find the answer.

Got a question that’s zig zagging around in your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help you discover a bolt of knowledge!  

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Smash Boom Best is a debate show for kids and families from the makers of the award-winning podcast, Brains On! Every episode takes two cool things, smashes them together and lets you decide which is best.


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A history show for the whole family! Every episode explores the origin of just one thing — like sandwiches, video games, clocks and more — while teaching listeners to think critically about history.


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Our mission is to encourage kids’ and curious adults’ natural curiosity and wonder using science and history…but there’s no age limit on curiosity, and episodes of Brains On can be enjoyed by anyone.


Why is lightning zig zaggy?

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