Something about electricity I need clearing.

[Pie Crust]

People say that electricity flows from negative to positive.
They also say that the Earth is full of negative charges and thunderclouds have positive charges.
If electricity flows from Minus to Plus, why does lightning strike from the clouds?

[Ad Bot]

[Brickitect]

Electricity is ALWAYS trying to find it's way to the ground.  (especially lightning)

[$trinick]

Lightning strikes from the ground up.

[Pie Crust]

Seems to have more width at the top.

[Night Fox]

Seems to have more width at the top.

okay, first of all, no it doesn't seem like that at all
second, that wouldn't matter even if it were true

[$trinick]

Width really has nothing to do with it. Lightning is actually complex, but the charge flows from the ground upward.

[GhostStar]

Im pretty sure I saw a slo mo vid of lighting where the bolt started from the ground and the clouds and just met in the middle,

nope nevermind. It only meets about a few feet above ground,  so basically the lightning starts at the sky and ends on the ground

[$trinick]

Im pretty sure I saw a slo mo vid of lighting where the bolt started from the ground and the clouds and just met in the middle

It sort of works like this. What happens is that when too much negative charge builds up in the clouds, the charge starts to get forced downwards. This is called a stepped leader. When it nears the ground, it attracts a surge from the tallest nearby object that streams up. So, it kind of does meet in the middle, but the actual flash of light we see is the charge shooting from the ground up to the cloud.

[Pie Crust]

It sort of works like this. What happens is that when too much negative charge builds up in the clouds, the charge starts to get forced downwards. This is called a stepped leader. When it nears the ground, it attracts a surge from the tallest nearby object that streams up. So, it kind of does meet in the middle, but the actual flash of light we see is the charge shooting from the ground up to the cloud.

Thanks Trinik.