2006-06-09 21:30:40 · 12 answers · asked by french_fries_1205 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
Lightning heats the air surrounding it to a temperature exceeding 50,000 degrees F so quickly and the air surrounding the 'channel' that the lightning strike followed has a very high pressure. It expands into the air around it, then collapses, creating a shock wave which turns into a sound wave which is what we hear as thunder.
Thunder has the sound of a "crack", but as you are standing farther away from the lightning strike, the different densities of air cause the sound wave to bend, and thunder sounds more like a rumble. And thunder occurs at the same time as lightning, but sound travels slower than light so we hear thunder after lightning, a bigger time difference between the two the further you are from the lightning strike
2006-06-14 11:31:27 · answer #1 · answered by Bean 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The cause of thunder has been the subject of centuries of speculation and scientific enquiry. The first recorded theory is attributed to Aristotle in the third century BCE, and an early speculation was that it was caused by the collision of clouds. Subsequently numerous other theories have been proposed. By the mid-19th century, the accepted theory was that lightning produced a vacuum along its path, and that thunder was caused by the subsequent motion of air rushing to fill the vacuum. Later in the 19th century it was believed that thunder was caused by an explosion of steam when water along the lightning channel was heated. Another theory was that gaseous materials were created by lightning and then exploded. In the 20th century a consensus evolved that thunder must begin with a shockwave in the air due to the sudden thermal expansion of the plasma in the lightning channel.
Experimental support for this theory came from spectroscopic temperature measuring up to 36000 Kelvin. Arc photography then proved that the plasma did not expand thermally in all directions, but preferentially at right angles to the electric current. Acording to Graneau, the mechanism for this is not yet completely understood in terms of magnetohydrodynamics.
2006-06-09 21:32:46 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is one of those conundrum questions..
Like what came first.. chicken or egg?
Is thunder caused by the rapid expansion of air away from the space the bolt of lightning has claimed...
or is it the rapid contraction of air taking the place of where the lightning was?
or is it both at the same time?
I have no answer.. and i think there is no answer to have on this one.
We have super slow motion cameras.. do we have something that does the same with sound? And can we put that on some kind of display that shows and compares both sight and sound in super super slow motion?
That's where the answer will be found..
2006-06-09 21:51:56 · answer #3 · answered by lost_but_not_hopeless 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thunder is caused by lightning. The sound is made as the air around the lightning bolt rapidly heats and cools. The air around a lightning strike is heated to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit (27,500 C), as the air cools it causes a shock wave to occur known as thunder. The closer the lightning is, the louder the clap of thunder will be. You can think of thunder as nature's way of warning you to take cover to avoid being struck by lightning.
Over 100,000 thunderstorms are recorded every year but only a small percentage is considered 'severe' by the National Weather Service. Thunderstorms are capable of producing tornados, strong winds, hail and heavy rain, which can lead to flash flooding.
2006-06-09 22:13:00 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the sound of lightning
It is also one of the most deadly natural phenomena known to man. With bolt temperatures hotter than the surface of the sun and shockwaves beaming out in all directions, lightning is a lesson in physical science and humility.
Beyond its powerful beauty, lightning presents science with one of its greatest local mysteries: How does it work? It is common knowledge that lightning is generated in electrically charged storm systems, but the method of cloud charging still remains elusive.
2006-06-09 21:35:17 · answer #5 · answered by Unicorn 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The sound that follows a flash of lightning and is caused by sudden expansion of the air in the path of the electrical discharge.
2006-06-09 21:34:32 · answer #6 · answered by opentogainknowledge 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thunder is the sound of lighting. You hear it after you see the lightning because the speed of light is faster than the speed of sound. So the answer to your question is..lightning.
2006-06-09 21:34:10 · answer #7 · answered by gg 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When lightning hits the ground it produces thunder. you could try looking it up on the net!
2006-06-09 21:33:02 · answer #8 · answered by Dan X 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Odin
2006-06-09 21:32:43 · answer #9 · answered by Spud 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The passage of lightning cleaves the air, creating, in essence, a sonic boom.
2006-06-09 21:33:15 · answer #10 · answered by druid 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋