Flashcards for:
Understanding Lightning and Earthquake Safety

During an earthquake while indoors, you should avoid panicking, use stairs instead of elevators, stay away from windows and potentially dangerous objects, and protect your head and neck by finding shelter under sturdy furniture.

The movement or divergence of the gold leaves in an electroscope indicates the presence of an electric charge. When a charged object is brought near the metal disc, the leaves either repel each other (if similarly charged) or collapse (if oppositely charged).

Tectonic plate movement involves the movement of the Earth's plates floating on molten magma. Earthquakes occur when these plates collide, separate, or brush past each other, releasing energy in the form of seismic waves.

Seismic waves are vibrations produced by the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates during an earthquake. These waves spread out from the earthquake's focus and cause the ground to shake.

Lightning is caused by the accumulation of electrical charges. It is a natural electrical discharge that occurs when positive and negative charges build up in different parts of the atmosphere or within a thundercloud and need to neutralize.

A magnitude 7-8 earthquake on the Richter Scale is considered very destructive, causing severe damage to buildings, infrastructure, and posing significant risk to human life.

Charging by conduction involves the direct contact of objects, allowing electrons to move from one object to another. Charging by induction involves charging an object without direct contact by bringing a charged object near, causing redistribution of charges within the object being charged.

You should crouch down when caught outdoors during lightning to reduce your height and minimize your risk of being struck. Crouching also helps you become the shortest object in the area, reducing the chances of lightning striking you.

Unplugging appliances during a lightning storm is important because lightning can cause power surges, which can damage electrical devices and increase the risk of electrical fires.

It is dangerous to carry an umbrella during a thunderstorm because it increases your height and can act as a conductor for lightning, increasing the chances of being struck.

It is important to stay away from windows during a lightning storm because lightning can strike and break the glass, causing potentially dangerous debris and injury.

The Richter Scale measures the magnitude or strength of an earthquake. Each unit increase on the scale represents a tenfold increase in the earthquake's magnitude. For example, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6 is ten times stronger than one with a magnitude of 5.

The primary purpose of an electroscope is to detect the presence of an electric charge on an object. It does not measure the quantity of the charge but indicates whether an object is charged.

Human activities that can cause earthquakes include mining, blasting, and nuclear explosions. These activities can disturb the Earth's crust and induce seismic activity.

Static electricity refers to charges at rest, typically found in insulating materials. It often occurs when materials are rubbed together, causing a transfer of electrons and resulting in a build-up of electrical charge.