What is plasma in lightning?

Answer 1

While a lightning bolt itself is simply an electrical discharge, the air surrounding the bolt of lightning is superheated to plasma temperatures. This very rapid heating of the air causes a rapid expansion which results in thunder.

Lightning heats air to plasma temperatures.

Answer 2

There used to be considered three states of matter; gas, solid, and liquid. To this must be added plasma, for it does not conform to the required properties of the first three. Plasma is an ionized state of a gas, and the air becomes ionized by the passage of electricity - as lightning. usually, some of the electrons of the gas are raised to a higher energy level by the passage of the current through their atoms, and this is shown by the bright light given out by the lightning stroke. However, this is merely excited atoms. Some of the electrons have to be stripped off the atom for it to be ionized. The ionized atom soon captures a stray electron and then the atom passes through the excited stage and back to its natural state.

Answer 3

The extreme amount of energy passing through a very narrow space in the air converts some of the air (02, CO2, N and H20 vapor) directly from a gas into a plasma (which only happens in very high energy situations) and explodes the rest outward at supersonic speed, creating a (relatively) small but extremely energetic explosion shockwave that carries for miles as thunder.

Basically an electro-resistance explosion similar in some ways to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_flash.

Answer 4

Yes. The bolt that you see is plasma.

Answer 5

It is a source of energy