Praxis 5005 Practice Question
The preceding figure represents a cloud that has formed in the atmosphere above Earth's surface. Which of the following diagrams best illustrates the arrangement of charges in the cloud and on Earth's surface just before a cloud-to-ground lightning strike?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: In a cloud just before a lightning strike, positive charges typically accumulate at the top, while negative charges gather at the bottom. This charge separation creates an electric field between the cloud and the Earth's surface, which is negatively charged. Option D accurately represents this arrangement: the cloud has a positive charge at the top, a negative charge in the middle, and a negative charge at the bottom, while the ground is positively charged.
Option A incorrectly places positive charges at the bottom of the cloud, which does not align with typical charge distribution. Option B misrepresents the middle charge as positive, disrupting the expected negative charge at the cloud's base. Option C inaccurately shows the top of the cloud as negative, which contradicts the established behavior of charge separation in storm clouds.
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