0
What is the actual method for finding the distance you are from the storm using lightning and thunder?
TrogdortheBurninator
For a long time it was thought by many people that the number of seconds after the lightning strikes is the miles the center of the storm is from you. Although this does show how light travels faster than sound, this system is wrong. The actual method for finding the distance the heart of the storm is from you is by counting after you see lightning; and stop counting after you hear the thunder. Now, for every five seconds after the lightning struck until you hear the thunder, it is one mile away. So if ten seconds go by between lightning and thunder, the center of the storm is two miles away.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Why is lightning heard before thunder?
Lighting always comes just before thunder because it is the heat of lightning that causes thunder. Lightning is seen when there is a discharge of atmospheric electricity in the clouds or between clouds and the ground. The energy from the lightning heats the air and causes a sudden expansion of the air (followed by a rapid contraction), which results in the sound called thunder. Since the heat of lightning causes the expansion that results in thunder, the lighting must come first. (see related link below) Because light travels faster than sound, an observer will normally perceive a delay between lightning and thunder. This delay increases with farther distance from the actual lightning strike. People will often count the seconds that pass after they see lightning until they hear the thunder. The shorter the time observed between the two, the closer the lightning is to the observer. - In English units, every 5 seconds of delay is about a mile in distance. - In metric units, every 3 seconds of delay is about a kilometer in distance.
If a person wants to calculate how far away a thunderstorm is why do they start counting after they have seen the lightening and not after they hear thunder?
It takes time for the sound of the thunder to travel from the location of the actual lightning bolt to where you are. The speed of sound is approximately 343 meters/sec, but the speed of light is 300,000km/sec, which explains why you can see it way before you hear it. I'd recommend looking at http://www.myvalleyweather.com/mostpopular/story/How-far-away-is-that-Thunderstorm/gehnIxukS0-8g0uvzwslFw.cspx.
What is the ruler on the map used to convert ground distance to actual distance?
It is called the scale ruler.
What is the actual distance in kilometers of 1 degrees of latitude?
Approx. 111.1
What is the actual distance for the map distances of 9cm?
The distance on maps and actual distance on the ground depend on the scale of the maps if you chose 1 cm for one kilometer than it will be 9 kilometer on the ground.This is the simple understanding and dont be confuse with the calculation of cm. M.Saleem
Find the distance from your position to the lightning strike?
count time in seconds from lightning flash to first peal of thunder. each second is roughly 1000 feet. Use actual speed of sound, a stopwatch, and calculator for more exact answer.
Why is lightning heard before thunder?
Lighting always comes just before thunder because it is the heat of lightning that causes thunder. Lightning is seen when there is a discharge of atmospheric electricity in the clouds or between clouds and the ground. The energy from the lightning heats the air and causes a sudden expansion of the air (followed by a rapid contraction), which results in the sound called thunder. Since the heat of lightning causes the expansion that results in thunder, the lighting must come first. (see related link below) Because light travels faster than sound, an observer will normally perceive a delay between lightning and thunder. This delay increases with farther distance from the actual lightning strike. People will often count the seconds that pass after they see lightning until they hear the thunder. The shorter the time observed between the two, the closer the lightning is to the observer. - In English units, every 5 seconds of delay is about a mile in distance. - In metric units, every 3 seconds of delay is about a kilometer in distance.
Each second that passes is equal to a distance of one mile. If 10 seconds pass between the lightning and thunder how far off was the lightning?
If the formula was correct for calculating the distance of a flash of lightning by counting the seconds from the flash to hearing the sound of the thunder, the distance would be ten miles (one second = one mile).However, the actual formula is: seconds divided by five equals distance of the lightning in miles. So a ten second delay means the lightning was about two miles away.This is because the light reaches you almost instantaneously (at the speed of light in air actually!), but sound travels at 343.14 meters per second (1,125.79 ft/s). This is 1,235.30 kilometers per hour (767.58 mph), which is about one mile in five seconds.For more information, See Related links below this box
Physical explanation for why the sound of thunder from a lighting strike appears after the actual bolt of lightning is observed?
Because light travels faster than sound
How is finding the distance of a coordinate plane helpful to archaeologist?
It helps them to relate their mapped information to the actual site.
Was Zeus an actual person?
No. Zeus was a mythological Greek God. The God of the Sky, Thunder and Lightning as well as Law, Order and Justice. For the Greeks, he was the King of the Gods, who oversaw the universe.
How long does it take from Toronto to thunder bay on a plane?
The distance between the above places is 588 miles. This distance is point to point straight distance. The actual distance may vary according to the flight path chosen. Also this is not the airport to airport precise distance.
How is the noise of thunder caused?
sound caused by a lightning discharge. Lightning heats the air in its path and causes a large over-pressure of the air within its channel. The channel expands supersonically into the surrounding air as a shock wave and creates an acoustic signal that is heard as thunder. The loudest thunder heard after a flash to the ground is actually produced by the return stroke.
How many air miles from Thunder Bay Ontario Canada to Toronto Ontario Canada?
This is an approximate direct (straight line) distance. During actual travel, this distance may change if a different flight route is chosen. The distance between the two places in miles is:588
How far will lightning travel when it hits a body of water?
Why did u ask fo
What is the relationship between the distance on a map and the actual distance on the earth tal what is the relationship between the distance on a map and the actual distance on the earth callied?
scale
If a person wants to calculate how far away a thunderstorm is why do they start counting after they have seen the lightening and not after they hear thunder?
It takes time for the sound of the thunder to travel from the location of the actual lightning bolt to where you are. The speed of sound is approximately 343 meters/sec, but the speed of light is 300,000km/sec, which explains why you can see it way before you hear it. I'd recommend looking at http://www.myvalleyweather.com/mostpopular/story/How-far-away-is-that-Thunderstorm/gehnIxukS0-8g0uvzwslFw.cspx.
