I want to close this three-part series on lightning by making some of our own, but first let's clear up one misconception - sometimes, distant lightning whose thunder can't be heard is called "heat lightning." I also hear that term applied to bolts that light up a cloud but themselves can't be seen. The assumption here seems to be that such lightning is produced by heat alone, and perhaps isn't as dangerous as "regular" lightning. Just not true. Lightning is lightning, and it's all produced by thunderstorms.

Now let's make some lightning. We'll use a device called a Van de Graff generator to build up static electricity inside a large hollow metal ball. As in thunderstorms, we'll use friction, though here the friction comes from a belt that rubs against a metal-toothed comb that's inside the ball. To induce the charge to jump, we'll use another metal, a smaller ball, since metals are good conductors of electricity. We'll ground the small metal ball with a wire, so once the electricity makes the jump, it'll be channeled back into the machine, instead of down the plastic rod into my body.