All matter, even a cloud, has the property of electric charge. A charge imbalance causes static electricity within the cloud. At
times, the charges on a pair of clouds or on a cloud and the ground
neutralize through a discharge known as lightning.
10. During thunderstorms, positive and negative charges in clouds
become separated. Positive charge builds up on the top of
clouds, and negative charge builds up on the bottom of clouds.
How might the charged clouds affect the charges in the neutral
ground below the clouds? Describe what happens to the
charges in the ground.