Lightning energy model
A lightning energy model represents the total energy released during a single lightning discharge.
1 GJEnergyEveryday quantities
Lightning energy model vs Electric car battery
What are they, and what does the difference actually look like?
Two things. One honest scale.
Meet the pair
What these two things are
Electric car battery
An electric car battery stores energy to power an electric vehicle.
216 MJEnergyLightning energy model has about 4.63 times the energy of Electric car battery.
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Lightning energy model1 GJEnergy
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Electric car battery216 MJEnergy
Bar length represents energy. Equal energy does not imply the same temperature, power or usefulness.
Measurements, assumptions & sources +
Lightning energy model
A deliberately rough 1 GJ discharge model. Real flashes vary by orders of magnitude.
Defined examples — our methodology
The marked energy is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
Electric car battery
A defined 60 kWh battery; usable capacity and losses vary.
Defined examples — our methodology
The marked energy is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
Change the comparison
Put something else beside it.
Measurement details
Why these numbers?
The visual compares energy with energy. The records below preserve each value’s basis and caveats.
Lightning energy model
1 GJEnergy · defined energy model
A deliberately rough 1 GJ discharge model. Real flashes vary by orders of magnitude.
Electric car battery
216 MJEnergy · defined energy model
A defined 60 kWh battery; usable capacity and losses vary.
- Comparing
- Energy ↔ Energy
- Relative size
- Lightning energy model is larger on this measurement by a factor of about 4.63. Lightning energy model's selected measurement is approximately 363% greater than Electric car battery's.
How to read the visual
The labelled spans and stored measurements determine the scale; unmeasured illustration details do not.
- Lightning energy model is labelled defined energy model; treat the displayed value as a comparison anchor rather than false precision.
- Electric car battery is labelled defined energy model; treat the displayed value as a comparison anchor rather than false precision.
There’s always another scale
Follow your curiosity.
EnergyLightning energy model1 GJA lightning energy model represents the total energy released during a single lightning discharge.EnergyElectric car battery216 MJAn electric car battery stores energy to power an electric vehicle.
EnergyFood kilocalorie4.184 kJA food kilocalorie is the energy needed to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius, used to express food energy.
EnergyPhone battery54 kJA phone battery stores electrical energy to power a mobile phone.
EnergyOne second of sunlight3.828 × 10¹¹ PJThe total energy emitted by the Sun in all directions over one second.Side by side
Another point of view.
