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Light travels faster than sound. This causes the lightning flash to be seen first, with thunder taking longer to be heard.

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8y ago

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Is thunder heard before you see lightning?

No, lightning is seen before thunder is heard. The speed of light is faster than the speed of sound, so light from the lightning reaches us first, followed by the sound of thunder a few seconds later.


Does thunder happened first?

No, thunder reaches the observer after they see lightning.


Is thunder the same as lightning?

Thunder and lightning occur roughly at the same time during a thunderstorm, but they are different things. Typically you see the lightning first and then you hear the thunder.


Why do you see lightning before you see thunder in terms of wave theory?

You see lightning first because light travels faster then sound.Also, you don't see thunder - you hear it.


Which one can you see -thunder or lightning?

you can see lightning


During a thunderstorm you see the lightning followed by the sound of the thunder What causes the delay between the light and the sound?

The delay between the lightning and the sound of thunder is due to the difference in speed between light and sound. Light travels much faster than sound, so we see the lightning first before hearing the thunder. By counting the seconds between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder, you can estimate how far away the lightning struck.


Can you see thunder or lightning?

You see lighting and hear thunder.


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.


Why do we hear thunder some seconds after seeing the lightning?

In simple terms... light travels much faster than sound. We see the lightning flash first, followed by the sound when it finally reaches us


Why during a thunder storm you see lightning first then you hear thunder?

Because light travels faster than sound


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 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.