If you hear thunder 12 seconds after you see the flash of lightning. how far away is the thunderstorm?

Answer 1

Sound takes about 4.6 seconds to travel one mile.

So 12 seconds divided by 4.6 = 2.6 miles away.

However, since you're probably asking on behalf of Novel Stars, that needs to be converted to kilometers.

2.6 miles = 4.18429 kilometers. So 4 km.

I don't know what "Novel Stars" is, but people who have grown up with a background wouldn't do the calculation starting of with miles. They probably know that the sound travels 333 meters per second, therefore it takes three seconds to cover one kilometer. Therefore 12 seconds = 4 kilometers.

(The result is the same as above but the path to get there is different.

Answer 2

Sound takes about 4.6 seconds to travel one mile.

So 12 seconds divided by 4.6 = 2.6 miles away.

However, as it can be difficult to divide by 4.6 in your head, the rough guide of 5 seconds per mile is often used.

So, divide the 'flash to thunder' time by 5:

12 seconds divided by 5 = 2.4 (miles away).

This 'approximate' method and result is probably sufficiently accurate for most purposes.

Of course, you could always use a stop watch and a calculator if you want to be really accurate!

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Answer 3

As sounds travels at about 343 meters per second (1,215 feet per second), The 12 second difference translates to 4.1 Kilometers (about 2.5 miles). Therefore the thunderstorm is 4.1 Kilometers away.

Answer 4

The interval will be 3 miles because the interval is 5 seconds per mile. So, 15 seconds would be 3 miles. Hope this helped! :)

Answer 5

every second that passes by is supposed to be a mile. but that's questionable.

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No, it's every 5 seconds that counts as one mile away from where the lightning hit.

Answer 6

3.6km away

Answer 7

12 miles