answersLogoWhite

0

# Watch the sky for a flash of lightning. # Count the number of seconds until you hear thunder. If you have a watch with a second hand or a digital watch that has seconds, begin timing as soon as you see the lightning and stop as soon as you hear the thunder start. If you don't have a watch, do your best to count the seconds accurately. Say "One one thousand, two one thousand etc." in your mind for each second. # Divide the number of seconds by 5 to calculate the distance in miles (or divide by 3 for kilometers). In other words if you counted 18 seconds from when you saw the lightning, the strike was 3.6 miles (6 kilometers) from your location. The delay between when you see lightning and when you hear thunder occurs because sound travels much, much more slowly than light. Sound travels through air at about 1100-1200 feet (330-350 meters) per second (depending on altitude, relative humidity, pressure, etc.), which is a little more than one mile per five seconds (one kilometer per three seconds). In comparison, the speed of light is 983,571,058 feet (299,792,458 meters) per second.

#* For example, if lightning strikes a point 1 mile away, you will see the strike approximately .00000536 seconds after the strike while you will hear it approximately 4.72 seconds after the actual strike. If you calculate the difference between these two experiences, a person will hear a strike approximately 4.71999 seconds after the strike actually occurred. Therefore, 5 seconds per mile is a fairly robust approximation.

User Avatar

Wiki User

16y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

You hear thunder 13.9 seconds after a lightning flash how far are you from lightning?

You are approximately 2.7 kilometers (1.7 miles) away from the lightning strike. Sound travels at about 343 meters per second, so by dividing the time gap of 13.9 seconds by the speed of sound, you can calculate the distance.


How do you calculate how far a storm is away?

After you here thunder every 6 seconds until the next lightning strike it is a mile.


Lightning is a form of what energy?

Lightning is a form of static electricity


What do you call Lightning that appears as a single long line?

A lightning bolt A lightning leader A lightning strike A lightning stroke


What is the adjective for lightning?

The adjective for lightning is "lightning." For example, you could say "a lightning storm" or "the lightning bolt."


How do you calculate the distance of a lightning flash?

Look for the lightning flash, and count the seconds until the thunder is heard. Every 5 seconds equals one mile of distance. While the light appears almost instantly sound travels at about 1200 fps, or roughly 5 seconds per mile. In metric units the speed of sound in air is approximately 330 m/s so every 3 seconds is roughly equivalent to 1 km.


Which one can you see -thunder or lightning?

you can see lightning


What is the adjective form of lightning?

The noun lightning itself (electrical discharge) is used as a noun adjunct, rather than an adjective, in such terms as lightning bolt or lightning rod. Only when the intent is to show great speed or quickness (lightning speed, lightning reflexes) is lightning an adjective.


How do you calculate lightning distance?

You can estimate the distance of a lightning strike by counting the seconds between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder. Divide this number by 5 to get the distance in miles or by 3 to get the distance in kilometers. Keep in mind this method gives an approximate distance.


What type of lightning is heat lightning?

Heat lightning is just ordinary lightning that is too far away for you to hear the thunder.


Alxemy how to make eel?

Fish + Lightning = Eel


What do you need to do when lightning?

Protect the high buildings, structures from lightning using lightning spike, lightning mast , earth wire.