What is Electricity in Nature?

Electricity is not only found in man-made power lines and electronic devices, but also found in nature. In fact, electricity is all around us. We see it in thunderstorms, animals use it as a defense, even our bodies use it to send messages to our muscles.

Lightning

One of nature’s most amazing electrical displays is lightning. Lightning occurs when large amounts of electrostatic energy build up in clouds from storm energy. As regions of charged clouds release their energy, a large spark can be seen in the sky. Lightning can occur from cloud to cloud or from cloud to ground.

Lightning carries a huge source of energy. A typical lightning bolt carries a current of more than 30,000 amperes and provides 500 megajoules of energy.

Thunder also makes a loud noise called thunder. This is because the air inside the lightning is so hot that it turns into plasma in a short period of time. When air molecules change from gas to plasma, their expansion causes shock waves that we hear like thunder.

Animals

Some animals use electricity to survive in the wild. Many of these animals are found in the ocean, where some use electricity to sense objects around them (like the ability to see) and others use electricity to fend off predators or even even hunt for food.

The electric eel is one of the most famous electric animals. Electric eels can generate a large amount of electricity, enough to kill a human or stun a large horse. The eels often swim through a school of fish, discharge a large amount of electricity and then dinner is served!

Another example of an animal using electricity is receiving electricity. Many fish such as sharks, lampreys, and catfish have the ability to generate electric fields and then use those fields to sense objects around them. This helps them “see” in dark areas and detect hidden prey. Human body

Human Body

We can not only see electricity in action in nature, but also continuously use electricity in our bodies. Every time we move a muscle, it’s the result of an electrical signal being sent from the brain to our muscles telling them to move. We actually have a complex nervous system throughout the body that uses electrical signals to control everything we do.

Static Electricity

Lightning is not the only form of electrostatic energy we see in nature. Static electricity builds up around us. You may notice static electricity when you slide at the park and your hair stands on end. The friction of the slide over your body causes a load buildup that causes your hair to stand on end. Sometimes, you can even create an electric charge on your body that shocks others when you touch them. It’s static electricity.

The Earth

Deep inside the Earth, huge electric currents are generated by the rotation of the Earth’s iron core. These currents in turn cause a magnetic field to extend beyond the Earth’s surface and into space.

The Earth’s magnetic field is important because it shields the Earth from the solar wind from the Sun. Without the protection of the magnetic field, there would be no life on Earth. The magnetic field also allows the use of a compass to indicate direction.