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When a lightning discharge occurs, the air is heated greatly by the amount of voltage that discharged through the air (approx 100 million volts). The air expands and explodes at the speed of sound, creating thunder.

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13y ago

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What makes thunder ad lightning?

Thunder is caused by the rapid expansion of air surrounding a lightning bolt due to extreme heat. Lightning occurs when electrical charges build up in clouds and between clouds and the ground, creating a discharge of energy in the form of an electric spark.


Why does lightning cause thunder?

Lightning is an electric discharge from the cloud to ground (although you can have other types, such as cloud to cloud). When the lightning strikes it heats up the surrounding air so fast that it causes an explosion, which is heard as thunder.


Why do thunder and lightning usally happen together?

Thunder and lightning usually happen together because they are both produced during the same weather phenomenon known as a thunderstorm. Lightning is a result of the discharge of electricity in the atmosphere, which rapidly heats the air to create the sound waves we hear as thunder. The light travels faster than the sound, so we see the lightning first and hear the thunder shortly after.


Why do lighting and thunder occur during a thunderstorm?

During a thunderstorm, lightning is caused by the buildup and discharge of static electricity in the atmosphere. Thunder occurs when the air surrounding the lightning bolt rapidly expands and contracts, creating a shock wave. The heat from the lightning bolt causes the air to expand and contract, resulting in the sound wave we hear as thunder.


What causes continuous lightning without thunder?

Continuous lightning without thunder can be caused by a phenomenon called "heat lightning," which occurs when distant lightning flashes are too far away for the sound of thunder to be heard.

Related Questions

Does thunder cause lightning or does lightning cause thunder. Explain?

Lightning causes thunder. Lightning is a massive electrical discharge that you see as a bolt or flash of light. Thunder is the sound caused when the lightning superheats the air, creating a shockwave.


Why is lightning accopaied by thunder?

Lightning is an electrical discharge through air. This discharge causes the air around the lightning bolt to violently heat (hotter than the suface of the sun) and expand; the air then quickly cools and contracts. This causes the audible crack or rumble of thunder (depending on your distance from the lightning).


Why thunder occurs?

Lightning is an electrical discharge which heats the air and causes it to expand rapidly, thereby creating a loud sound known as thunder.


What makes thunder ad lightning?

Thunder is caused by the rapid expansion of air surrounding a lightning bolt due to extreme heat. Lightning occurs when electrical charges build up in clouds and between clouds and the ground, creating a discharge of energy in the form of an electric spark.


Is thunder an example of electrical energy?

No, thunder is a result of lightning lightning on the other hand is an example of electrical energy, it is called static discharge,or static energy... Thunder is usually classified as sound energy, i.e. a pressure disturbance travelling through the air. The atmospheric electrical discharge that we call "lightning" causes sudden heating of the air, which causes its sudden expansion, which is what produces the pressure disturbance.


Why does lightning cause thunder?

Lightning is an electric discharge from the cloud to ground (although you can have other types, such as cloud to cloud). When the lightning strikes it heats up the surrounding air so fast that it causes an explosion, which is heard as thunder.


Why do thunder and lightning usally happen together?

Thunder and lightning usually happen together because they are both produced during the same weather phenomenon known as a thunderstorm. Lightning is a result of the discharge of electricity in the atmosphere, which rapidly heats the air to create the sound waves we hear as thunder. The light travels faster than the sound, so we see the lightning first and hear the thunder shortly after.


What is the relationship between thunder and lightning?

Thunder and lightning are closely related natural phenomena that occur during a thunderstorm. Lightning is a sudden electrostatic discharge that happens when electrical charges build up in the atmosphere, while thunder is the sound produced by the rapid expansion of air around the lightning bolt. In simple terms, lightning causes thunder due to the intense heat and energy it releases, creating a shockwave that produces the booming sound we hear.


Why do lighting and thunder occur during a thunderstorm?

During a thunderstorm, lightning is caused by the buildup and discharge of static electricity in the atmosphere. Thunder occurs when the air surrounding the lightning bolt rapidly expands and contracts, creating a shock wave. The heat from the lightning bolt causes the air to expand and contract, resulting in the sound wave we hear as thunder.


What causes thunder after a lightning strike?

The electricity in the clouds.


What causes continuous lightning without thunder?

Continuous lightning without thunder can be caused by a phenomenon called "heat lightning," which occurs when distant lightning flashes are too far away for the sound of thunder to be heard.


Why there is lightning before thunder?

lighting comes before thunder because it is the heat of lighting that causes thunder