When the attraction between charges is so strong that they push through the air towards each other, you have lightning. You can see lightning in action inside clouds, going between clouds, and traveling from earth to clouds.
Light travels faster than sound.
If you see a flash of lightning, count the seconds until you hear thunder. Multiply the number you get by five, and that tells you how many miles away the lightning is. The flash you see as lightning striking the earth is electricity traveling from a cloud to the ground. The i dea is to generate some static electricity . Use the clay to make a handle so you don't touch the metal directly.