ST.

ANDREW’S SCHOOL
La Huerta, Parañaque City

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

In many ways, this investigatory project was made possible through the efforts of
the following individuals:

Our Science IV teacher, Miss Ma. Ivy Neis, for the support and help while we are
doing this project.

Our Classmates and Friends, for their help and effort and as well as their help.

Our Family, for their continuous support, encouragement.

Our Dear Creator, for the knowledge that He has given us.

The Group Members

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 ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOL
La Huerta, Parañaque City

Chapter 1
Introduction

A. Background of the study

Have you ever wondered how a lightning is formed? Or when does it

occur? Lightning happens when the negative charges (electrons) in the bottom of the
cloud are attracted to the positive charges (protons) in the ground. The accumulation of
electric charges has to be great enough to overcome the insulating properties of air.
When this happens, a stream of negative charges pours down towards a high point
where positive charges have clustered due to the pull of the thunderhead. The
connection is made and the protons rush up to meet the electrons. It is at that point that
we see lightning and hear thunder. A bolt of lightning heats the air along its path
causing it to expand rapidly. Thunder is the sound caused by rapidly expanding air.

Lightning comes from thunderclouds, known as cumulonimbus, which are

created when hot moist air rises into the atmosphere and condenses. The hot air mingles
with colder air, and the moisture condenses into water droplets. Clouds are created
when these water droplets become visible. The droplets increase in size as the cloud
grows and eventually become so heavy that they fall as rain. The researchers conducted
this study because we want to know how lightning is formed and if it’s possible to create
a miniature version of lightning.

The topic came from the idea of a local researcher in our community that
aims to create a miniature lightning with only the use of everyday things found at our
own home. So when we heard this idea from

The researcher, the group was really interested and curious about it so we talked about it
and agreed to do the same experiment to improve the past results of the researcher.

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La Huerta, Parañaque City

B. Statement of the Problem

This experimental study aimed to find out the nature of lightning. Specifically, it
sought answers to the following questions:
1. Is it possible to build a miniature lightning?
2. How is lightning formed?
3. How long will the miniature lightning last?
4. Is it safe to create the lightning indoors or should it be done outside to avoid
dangers?

C. Formulation of Hypothesis

The hypothesis for this topic is that lightning is formed from the build up
of electrons in the cloud and needs to get rid of atoms. It sends atoms down creating
heat and light, so with this knowledge, is it really possible to build a miniature
lightning?

D. Significance of the Study

The experiment is worthwhile pursuing because it will add additional

knowledge to us that we can use to influence other people in our society and with the
experiences that we got will make us a better researcher for the future researchers that
we will do in the future. There are many significance of this study, one is for parents,
and they can use this experiment to help their children to learn more about lightning in
a much simpler way in a sense of saving more money and time in purchasing models
and other visual aids for there child to understand better about lightning. Another is for
science teachers, they can use this experiment as a learning tool to let the students fully
understand there lesson about light and electricity. Another benefit is for the
community, we can show this experiment to the teachers in our respective community

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La Huerta, Parañaque City

so they can teach it in community schools or in day care centers, which will amaze the
students and learns at the same time. And last is for students, they can make this as
their investigatory project as the researchers recommend it.

E. Scope and Limitation

The study focuses in building a miniature lightning. The main problem

of this study is how lightning is formed. The experiment will be done in one to two days
and will be held at MIA, Pasay City only, other places that is not included in the said
place will not be involve in the experiment. Temperature and other factors of the
environment do not affect the experiment. The reference that I have used was
www.sciencebuddies.com.

F. Definition of Terms

 Lightning - The visible flash of light accompanying such a discharge.

 Electron - The electron is a subatomic particle carrying a negative electric charge.
It has no known components or substructure.
 Insulator - A material that insulates, especially a nonconductor of sound, heat,
or electricity.
 Resistor - A device used to control current in an electric circuit by providing
resistance.

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 ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOL
La Huerta, Parañaque City

Chapter 2
Review of related literature

Lightning forms from the build up of electrons or negative charges in

the cloud or the ground and needs to get rid of atoms. Since protons and electrons
attract, it sends down atoms to the ground creating heat and light.

Once there is enough charge build up between the cloud and the ground a
stepped leader (with a negative charge) will start toward the ground. The stepped leader
is a dim 50 yard long "streak" of lightning starting from the cloud. The stepped leader
will continue toward the ground in steps of 50 yards. Each stepped leader takes about
50 millionths of a second to start branching off in to one or more additional stepped
leaders. As the stepped leader(s) near the ground, the positively charged earth and
objects on earth start to be attracted to the stepped leader. In a human, if you have your
hair standing on end you are being attracted to the stepped leader of a lightning strike.
Once the stepped leader reaches one of the positively streams from the ground the
positive charges we get what we all now know a as lightning, a bright stream in the sky
that has several branches. The positive charges going up to the cloud are actually where
we see the bright lightning, this is also know as the return stroke. When the return
stroke reaches the cloud, if there are still more negative charges left the lightning will
continue with negative charges being taken to the ground and another return stroke
taking positive charges to the cloud
(Stutz, M. 2000)

Lightning happens when the negative charges (electrons) in the bottom of

the cloud are attracted to the positive charges (protons) in the ground. The
accumulation of electric charges has to be great enough to overcome the insulating
properties of air. When this happens, a stream of negative charges pours down towards
a high point where positive charges have clustered due to the pull of the thunderhead.
The connection is made and the protons rush up to meet the electrons. It is at that point

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 ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOL
La Huerta, Parañaque City

that we see lightning and hear thunder. A bolt of lightning heats the air along its path
causing it to expand rapidly. Thunder is the sound caused by rapidly expanding air.

Lightning comes from thunderclouds, known as cumulonimbus, which are

created when hot moist air rises into the atmosphere and condenses. Hot air rises when
heated by the sun, carrying water vapor into the sky. As it rises, the hot air mingles with
colder air, and the moisture condenses into water droplets. Clouds are created when
these water droplets become visible. The droplets increase in size as the cloud grows and
eventually become so heavy that they fall as rain. Thunderclouds are large, anvil-shaped
masses that can stretch miles across at the base, and reach 40,000 feet or more into the
atmosphere.

The genesis of lightning is a subject of great theoretical debate, says

Dr.Vladimir Rakov of the Lightning Research Center at the University of Florida. We
know that electrical charges build up within thunderclouds, but there is no single theory
that fully describes why. One commonly discussed thesis suggests that small cloud
particles acquire a positive charge, while other larger particles become negatively
charged part of the cloud becomes positively charged.

(National Geographic Society)

As what Pillada, Katrina Michelle has done her past study about this topic,
she recommends it to be done again so that the research will be improved and be known
to everyone. She concluded in her study that creating a miniature lightning is possible
and there are many other possible ways to create it.

With all of these statements, it helped us to know more about lightning, all
the properties, the positive and negative charges and when combined can make
lightning and the dangers that we may encounter during the experiment. Past
researches and the recommendations that have been made, we are really going to

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La Huerta, Parañaque City

pursue to finish the research topic that we decide to take up because we really are
curious and thrilled in creating a miniature lightning of our own.

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 ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOL
La Huerta, Parañaque City

Chapter 3
Methodology

In this chapter it will discuss the materials needed and the proper
procedures in order to perform the experiment correctly. The said procedure will be
written down in order to avoid error during the experiment.

Materials
The materials that will be used in this study will be the following:
aluminum plate, which will serve as the base of the experiment, any size will do but for
our experiment we used a 7.5” x 4.5” pan, ball point pen, which will serve as the handle
of the experiment, any ball point will do but for our experiment we used o.5 ball point,
thumb tacks, which will hold the ball pen and aluminum plate together, wool sock and
Styrofoam, these two will create the positive and negative charge that will follow in the
experiment and a timer to record the time of the lightning created.

Procedures

As you rub the Styrofoam for at least 2 minutes, it steals electrons from the
wool and becomes negatively charged. Because like charges repel (move apart) and
opposite charges attract (move together), the excess electrons on the Styrofoam repel
the electrons on the pie plate and push them to the top edge of the plate. The pen acts as
an insulator, preventing the built-up charge from moving through you to the ground
until you are ready. When you bring your finger close to the edge of the plate, the
repelled electrons jump across the gap and escape through your body, giving you a small
shock. When you turn off the lights, you should be able to see as well as hear and feel the
discharge.

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 ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOL
La Huerta, Parañaque City

This is an illustration or a guide that your set-up must look like.

Actual Experiment

Ball pen

Aluminum Pan

Styrofoam

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 ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOL
La Huerta, Parañaque City

Chapter 4
Results and Discussions

After rubbing the wool sock and the Styrofoam together and putting it
below the aluminum pan what happened was when you try to touch the aluminum pan a
small shock was felt and a spark was seen when the lights were off.

This photo was taken during the experiment which you can see a small spark was seen
and captured by the camera.

Table 1
Spark Time
1 0.79 msec
2 0.63 msec
3 0.87 msec

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 ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOL
La Huerta, Parañaque City

We also recorded the time of each spark that appeared using a timer during the
experiment and we put it on a table. According to the data collected which is shown on
the table a single spark does not last for a second so it means that when you perform this
experiment you have to be fast and attentive in order to see the lightning created.

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 ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOL
La Huerta, Parañaque City

Chapter 5
Conclusion and Recommendation

In this chapter of the study you will see the conclusion of our study and
recommendations of the researchers about the said topic.

Conclusion

This happen because it’s all about static electricity. Lightning happens
when the negative charges, which are called electrons, in the bottom of the cloud or in
this experiment your finger are attracted to the positive charges, which are called
protons, in the ground or in this experiment the aluminum pie pan. The resulting spark
is like a mini lightning bolt. We concluded that making lightning in a pan is possible and
we prefer to do the experiment indoors in order to see the spark or the mini lightning.

Recommendation

As our study ends, we suggest the future researchers to use other size of
aluminum pans and other ball points to see if the lightning created last longer or just the
same with our experiment. In performing the experiment, always remember to be
attentive, alert, and careful and follow the instructions correctly, do not change or create
new steps other than the steps provided for the researcher to achieve the desired output.

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 ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOL
La Huerta, Parañaque City

Appendix

Documentation (Actual Demonstration)

Other Pictures

These pictures are supplementary evidences for the researchers to see the other prospect
of the experiment to be done.

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 ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOL
La Huerta, Parañaque City

Home Made Lightning

The purpose of the experiment is to create a lightning with only materials

found in our own home and to observe the properties of lightning. The experiment was
started last January 12, 2013 and completed last January 13, 2013

Information of the Members

Ison, Jose Paolo

September 30, 1996
16 years old
Handsome, Sociable and Humorous

Gison, Lexus Kenneth

July 17, 1996
16 years old
Funny but Nice

Plantilla, Ryan Gabriel

June 6, 1996
16 years old
Friendly, Nice and Easy to get along

Tuaño, Renzo Dominic

November 11, 1996
16 years old
Tall and Nice

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La Huerta, Parañaque City

Bibliography

 Smith, J. (2012). Lightning in a Pan. 2012.

<http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?
video_id=256533&title=CSW_Winter_2012__Lightning_in_a_Pan>

 Morgan, E. (2008). Lightning. 2008.

<http://students.gacatholicschool.org/morgan/index.htm>

 Pillada, K.M. (2011). Lightning in a Pan. 2011.

<http://www.scribd.com/doc/48421367/IP>

 UCAR (2000). Make Lightning. 2000.

< http://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/lightningact.html>

 Knowledge Bears Inc. (2005). Create Lightning…In a Pan! 2005.

< http://www.kbears.com/sciences/science-fair/sfpanlightning.html>

 Wicker, C. (2010). Make Lightning. 2010.

< http://www.weatherwizkids.com/experiments-make-lightning.html>

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