Fulgurite

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/fulgurite

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the mineraloid classification?Silica-rich fulgurites are classified as a variety of lechatelierite
2. What is the electrical discharge magnitude?Associated with potential differences exceeding 100 million volts
3. How does lightning make a fulgurite?Lightning is very hot, over 100 million volts. When it hits sand, the heat melts the sand into glass, which cools quickly into a fulgurite.
4. Where can you find fulgurites?Fulgurites are usually found in sandy deserts and coastal dunes, like the Sahara, Arabian Desert, and some beach dunes.

Lechatelierite: An amorphous, natural glass formed from fused silica, often found in fulgurites.
Dielectric Breakdown: The process where an electrical insulator loses its insulating properties under high voltage.
Lichtenberg Figures: Branching fractal patterns created by electrical discharges on insulator surfaces.
Vesicular: Containing many small cavities or bubbles, often from trapped gases.