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Thunder is what you hear, lightning is what you see, but both are due to electrical discharge in the atmosphere. They can seem to be separated in time to an observer (you see the lightening before you hear the thunder) because of the large difference in the speed of sound and the speed of light. If you are significant distance away (a few miles or kilometers), the light from the discharge will reach you almost instantly, but the sound can take several seconds to arrive. In fact you can measure the distance from you to the lightening in this way: for each second delay between seeing it and hearing it, the lightening bolt is approximately 300 meters, or 1000 ft away.
Thunder is merely the rumbling sound that lightning creates. You hear the thunder after you see the lighting because light travels faster than sound.
Lightning is the light that is emitted, and thunder is the sound.
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoThundering is not a word. That's the diference. HAHAHA
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What is the difference between a thunderstorm and lightning?
Lightning is light energy, or electromagnetic energy. And thunder is sound energy.
Why is there a delay between the lightning an thunder?
There is a delay between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder because the speed of light (lightning) is much faster than the speed of sound (thunder). Thus, you SEE lightning first, and then you HEAR thunder later.
What is the difference between a lightning storm and a thunderstorm?
sometimes they are used interchangeably but technically a Lightning storm involves visible lightning bolts striking the earth. A thunderstorm on the other hand just involves the sound thunder, although thunder may be the sound of lighting striking but the lightning may not be visible or strike the earth directly so the proper name would be thunderstorm in this example.
Why do you see thunder after you see the flash of lightning?
You don't see thunder. You hear thunder. You hear thunder after seeing the lightning because light travels faster than sound. The further the storm away is, the bigger the time between when you see the lightning and hear the thunder.
What is lightning without thunder?
Lightning without thunder is called heat lightning. It occurs when the lightning is too far away for humans to hear the thunder.
What is the Difference between the thunderstorms and lightning?
Lightning is light energy, or electromagnetic energy. And thunder is sound energy.
What is the difference between a thunderstorm and lightning?
Lightning is light energy, or electromagnetic energy. And thunder is sound energy.
What is the difference between heat lightning and regular lightning?
Nothing. Heat lightning is just lightning too far away to be heard.
Why is there a delay between the lightning an thunder?
There is a delay between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder because the speed of light (lightning) is much faster than the speed of sound (thunder). Thus, you SEE lightning first, and then you HEAR thunder later.
What is the difference between thunderstorm and wind?
Wind is the movement of air. A thunderstorm is a rain shower that produces thunder and lightning.
What is the difference between a lightning storm and a thunderstorm?
sometimes they are used interchangeably but technically a Lightning storm involves visible lightning bolts striking the earth. A thunderstorm on the other hand just involves the sound thunder, although thunder may be the sound of lighting striking but the lightning may not be visible or strike the earth directly so the proper name would be thunderstorm in this example.
What is a thunder lightning outcome?
A thunder lightning outcome refers to the simultaneous occurrence of thunder and lightning during a thunderstorm. The thunder is the sound produced by the rapid expansion of heated air surrounding a lightning bolt, while the lightning is the visible discharge of electricity between clouds or between a cloud and the ground. A thunder lightning outcome is a common occurrence during thunderstorms.
Why do you see thunder after you see the flash of lightning?
You don't see thunder. You hear thunder. You hear thunder after seeing the lightning because light travels faster than sound. The further the storm away is, the bigger the time between when you see the lightning and hear the thunder.
What is the scientific explanation of thunder and ligthning earthquake?
There is no relationship between thunder and lightning and earthquakes.
Why can't you see thunder?
Thunder is our name for the sound made by lightning. The reason there is (usually) a delay between when you see the bolt of lightning and hear the thunder is that light travels more quickly than does sound. This is the reason that you can count seconds between seeing lightning and hearing thunder to figure out how close the lightning is to you. When the lightning is closer to you, the sound doesn't take as much time to travel to your ears and thus the gap between the lightning and thunder is shorter. So you can't see thunder because it's merely a sound - but you can see the source of that sound.
What is the difference between a taser and lightning?
the difference between lightning and a taser is i have no idea
Is thunder the eco of lightning?
thunder is the sound of lightning if that is what you are asking
