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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.

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11y ago

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Why do sometimes hear thunder at about the same time you see flash of lightning but other times you hear thunder after the flash?

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.


Why do we see lightning first and then followed by thunder?

Lightning and thunder are phenomena that happen simultaneously but are observed at different times due to the difference in speed of light and sound. Light travels faster than sound, so we see the lightning flash first and then hear the thunder that follows it later.


What is The loud crashing or rumbling noise heard after a flash of lightning?

Thunder is the loud crashing or rumbling noise heard after a flash of lightning. This happens because lightning heats the air around it, causing it to rapidly expand and create a shock wave that we hear as thunder.


Why is it in a thunder storms you see the ligherning before the thunder?

Light travels faster than sound, so you see lightning before you hear the thunder. The lightning flash reaches your eyes almost instantly, while the sound of thunder takes longer to reach your ears because it travels at a slower speed.


What is lightning without thunder?

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.

Related Questions

Why are you hearing thundering after lightning?

A lightning flash travels at the speed of light. The sound of thunder travels much slower. Therefore, we see the flash before we hear the thunder.


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 sometimes hear thunder at about the same time you see flash of lightning but other times you hear thunder after the flash?

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.


What does it mean if you see a flash of thunder and clap of thunder at almost the exact same time?

It means your too close to the lightning!


Do people see lightning before the sound of thunder reaches us?

Yes - since light travels faster than sound, you will see the lightning flash before hearing the sound of the thunder.


Does thunder have a flash?

Thunder is the sound produced by lightning as it rapidly heats and expands the air. It is not a flash like lightning, but rather the result of the shock wave created by the sudden expansion of the air.


Why do we see lightning first and then followed by thunder?

Lightning and thunder are phenomena that happen simultaneously but are observed at different times due to the difference in speed of light and sound. Light travels faster than sound, so we see the lightning flash first and then hear the thunder that follows it later.


What is flash of lightning and the thunder that follows?

thunderstorm


How is thunder produced and how far away does the lightning strikes if the thunder is heard 15 seconds after the lightning is seen?

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.


Which one can you see -thunder or lightning?

you can see lightning


Why does thunder ussually occur during storms that have lightning flashes?

The thunder is the sound of lightning but you only hear the thunder after the flash because lightning is faster than the speed of sound.


What is The loud crashing or rumbling noise heard after a flash of lightning?

Thunder is the loud crashing or rumbling noise heard after a flash of lightning. This happens because lightning heats the air around it, causing it to rapidly expand and create a shock wave that we hear as thunder.