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The speed of light is always constant. In air or vacuum, it is 299,792,458 m/s.

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What is the speed of electricity or lightning compared to the speed of sound and light?

The speed of lightning is somewhere between that of light and sound which is why most scientists would agree that the speed of light and the speed of sound make a good comparison to that of lightning and electricity.


Is lightning faster than light or is it light?

Lightning can hit the Earth, or in some cases COME from the Earth and go up depending on local electric gradients. The flow of electrical charge causes light, but the speed of that flow is MUCH less than the speed of light. In comparable media, NOTHING can exceed [or even equal] the speed of light, as described in the Special Theory of Relativity. A mass will grow to enormous, mind boggling values as it approaches the speed of light, because of a term in the equation (1 - v/c) in the denominator which makes the value approach infinity as v/c approaches 1, so 1-1 = 0 and you approach dividing by zero. v takes values starting from zero almost up to c, the speed of light in a vacuum.


Explain why thunder is heard after the lightning is seen?

Thunder is sound- it travels at the speed of sound- about 1100 feet per second. Lightning is light- it travels at the speed of light- about 186,000 miles a second. The light is faster, gets there first.


Why does lightning first?

The speed of light is faster than the speed of sound, therefore you see lightning first during a thunderstorm, then you hear the thunder. *yikes!* :) ilovecatz1234


How does lightning travel?

Lightning is the exchange of energy and plasma. According to scientist Bruce Steo, lightning moves at variable speeds. Lightning is in fact not light. But as the electronic plasma moves through charged air, it releases light waves. Depending on air conditions, the typical lightning bolt moves at 224,000 mph -- or about 3,700 miles per second.However, the light you see from the lightning obviously travels at the speed of light, which is roughly 670 million mph, or 186,000 miles per second.Lightening travels at 300,000 km per second which is the same speed as light.

Related Questions

Does the speed of lightning go up or down as it travels through the atmosphere?

The speed of lightning does not change as it travels through the atmosphere. Lightning travels at the speed of light, which is approximately 186,282 miles per second.


Is lightning or sound faster?

Lightning. Because it is the speed of light.


How fast lightning go?

Approx. 270,000 mph or about 75 miles per second. Lightning creates light but is an exchange of energy and is, therefore subject to friction so it does not travel the speed of light.


Why is it that lightning travels faster than sound?

Light speed is much faster than the speed of sound, ergo the light you see in lightning is visible, before you here the sound.


What is lightings speed?

the speed of light is 300 thousand kilometres a second, or 300 million metres a second. which means it would go around the world 7.5 times in a single second. a light year is the distance that light travels in one year, which is 9.5 trillion kilometres. light is gamma rays, and gamma rays are electromagnetic waves that occur after either alpha or beta decay.


What is the speed of electricity or lightning compared to the speed of sound and light?

The speed of lightning is somewhere between that of light and sound which is why most scientists would agree that the speed of light and the speed of sound make a good comparison to that of lightning and electricity.


Can you ever stop a train when its going the speed of lightning?

A train couldn't go the speed of lightning. At least not with our technology.


How does lightning travel at the speed of light?

Lightning travels at the speed of light because it is an electrical discharge that moves through the air very quickly, reaching speeds of up to 220,000 miles per hour. This rapid movement creates a bright flash of light that we see as lightning.


Is lightning faster than light or is it light?

Lightning can hit the Earth, or in some cases COME from the Earth and go up depending on local electric gradients. The flow of electrical charge causes light, but the speed of that flow is MUCH less than the speed of light. In comparable media, NOTHING can exceed [or even equal] the speed of light, as described in the Special Theory of Relativity. A mass will grow to enormous, mind boggling values as it approaches the speed of light, because of a term in the equation (1 - v/c) in the denominator which makes the value approach infinity as v/c approaches 1, so 1-1 = 0 and you approach dividing by zero. v takes values starting from zero almost up to c, the speed of light in a vacuum.


Explain why thunder is heard after the lightning is seen?

Thunder is sound- it travels at the speed of sound- about 1100 feet per second. Lightning is light- it travels at the speed of light- about 186,000 miles a second. The light is faster, gets there first.


Why does lightning first?

The speed of light is faster than the speed of sound, therefore you see lightning first during a thunderstorm, then you hear the thunder. *yikes!* :) ilovecatz1234


What would the speed of lightning be if it didn't zig zag?

The speed of lightning is the speed of light, which is about 299,792 kilometers per second (186,282 miles per second) in a vacuum. If lightning traveled in a straight line instead of zigzagging, it would still move at the speed of light.