No, lightning is not an element.
Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge produced during thunderstorms. While it's a spectacular and powerful phenomenon, it's composed of energy and plasma, not a fundamental element.
Think of it this way:
- Elements: Elements are the basic building blocks of matter, like hydrogen, oxygen, and gold. They are listed on the periodic table.
- Lightning: Lightning is a flow of electrical current through the atmosphere. The extreme heat causes the air to rapidly expand, creating thunder. It involves elements like nitrogen and oxygen (the main components of air) that are heated to a plasma state, but it's not an element itself.
- Thunderstorms: The reference says "Lightning is the most spectacular element of a thunderstorm" but it is using element in a figurative sense, not a scientific one.
