A strong lightning bolt transfers about 27.88 C to Earth. How many electrons are transferred? The elemental charge is 1.602 × 10−19 C. The lightning bolt discharge lasts one millisecond. What is the average current flowing from the cloud to ground? Answer in units of A.

Number of electrons = (total charge) / (charge on each electron)

Number of electrons = (27.88 C) / (1.602 x 10⁻¹⁹ C/e)

Number of electrons = 1.74 x 10²⁰ electrons

Average current = (charge transferred) / (time to transfer the charge)

Average current = (27.88 C) / (0.001 sec)

| Average current | = 27,880 Amperes  (Yes. The current is big.)

Note:

That current can be either a positive or a negative number.

The question asks for the current flowing "from the cloud to ground", but it never tells us which direction the electrons are physically moving ... up from ground to cloud, or down from cloud to ground.  Real lightning bolts can go either way.

molecules are free to separate from each other and will take on the shape of the container. molecules move completely at random and high speeds. they vibrate in a fixed position and do not move around much. molecules expand to the edge of their container.