When lightning occurs and creates thunder you see the lightning immediately because light travels so fast (abot 186,000 miles per second). But sound travels much slower so you don't hear the thunder until several seconds after it occurs. I believe the approximate rule that is used is sound travels about 1 mile in 5 seconds. So if it is 15 seconds before you hear the thunder then the storm is about 3 miles away.
A thunderstorm is a weather system characterized by thunder, lightning, heavy rain, and strong winds. Lightning, on the other hand, is a sudden electrostatic discharge produced during a thunderstorm, resulting in a visible flash of light and a loud cracking or rumbling noise. Thunder is the sound produced by lightning as it heats the air and causes it to rapidly expand.
The approximate distance of a thunderstorm can be calculated by counting the number of seconds between the flash of lightning and the sound of thunder and dividing by 5. Since sound travels at about 1,100 feet per second, a three-second delay indicates the thunderstorm is approximately 2,200 feet away, or about 0.42 miles.
If there are many seconds between the flash of lightning and the roar of thunder, it indicates that the storm is far away. Each second of delay between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder represents a distance of about 1 mile between you and the lightning strike.
Lightning is a visible discharge of electricity, often seen during a thunderstorm. Thunder is the sound produced by the rapid expansion of air surrounding a lightning bolt. So, without thunder, lightning would still be the sudden and bright flash of electricity in the sky.
To find the miles to the lightning, you can count the number of seconds between seeing the flash and hearing the thunder (time interval). Divide this number by 5 to get the distance in miles, as sound travels at about 1 mile every 5 seconds.
thunderstorm
Thunder - is the result of a lightning flash. The flash causes the surrounding air to move away from the source at 300 metres/second. An approximate calculation for the relationship between the lightning flash to hearing the thunder, is 5 seconds per mile.
This doesn't really make sense because there is no specific time span between lightning strikes. The only thing I can say is that if the lightning is brighter, than it is no more than three miles way from where you are currently. And I'm not talking about altitude either.
The next time theres a thunderstorm, try a little experiment with sound. Try to time how long it takes distant sounds to reach you. From the safety of our home, count the seconds between the time you see a flash of lightning and the time you hear the noise of the thunder.
To estimate your distance from a thunderstorm count the number of seconds between a flash of lightning and the next clap of thunder. Divide your answer by 5. See the related link below.
A thunderstorm is a weather system characterized by thunder, lightning, heavy rain, and strong winds. Lightning, on the other hand, is a sudden electrostatic discharge produced during a thunderstorm, resulting in a visible flash of light and a loud cracking or rumbling noise. Thunder is the sound produced by lightning as it heats the air and causes it to rapidly expand.
The approximate distance of a thunderstorm can be calculated by counting the number of seconds between the flash of lightning and the sound of thunder and dividing by 5. Since sound travels at about 1,100 feet per second, a three-second delay indicates the thunderstorm is approximately 2,200 feet away, or about 0.42 miles.
If there are many seconds between the flash of lightning and the roar of thunder, it indicates that the storm is far away. Each second of delay between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder represents a distance of about 1 mile between you and the lightning strike.
Lightning is a visible discharge of electricity, often seen during a thunderstorm. Thunder is the sound produced by the rapid expansion of air surrounding a lightning bolt. So, without thunder, lightning would still be the sudden and bright flash of electricity in the sky.
To find the miles to the lightning, you can count the number of seconds between seeing the flash and hearing the thunder (time interval). Divide this number by 5 to get the distance in miles, as sound travels at about 1 mile every 5 seconds.
A flash of lightning is the visible discharge of electricity that occurs between clouds or between a cloud and the ground during a storm. Thunder is the sound created by the rapid expansion and contraction of air caused by the intense heat of a lightning bolt. The noise from thunder occurs because of the rapid increase in pressure and temperature of the air surrounding the lightning bolt.
If you hear the thunder almost at the same time as the lightning flash - the storm is directly overhead. Usually - the sound of thunder arrives a few seconds after the lightning, because light travels much faster than sound.