2006-06-30 06:34:04 · 27 answers · asked by Wesley l 1 in Environment
Thunder is the sound of the shockwave caused during a thunderstorm when lightning rapidly heats and expands the air in and directly around the lightning channel (bolt) into plasma, producing acoustic shock waves in the atmosphere indentified as thunder. It is said that the air is heated up to 30 000 °C (54 000 °F). This phenomenon happens at the same time (lightning strike/air expansion [thunderclap]), but we hear thunder after we see lightning due to the simple fact that light travels at a faster speed than sound. At a close enough distance to the actual lighting strike point, both sound and light can be heard/seen simultaneously. The exact mechanism is poorly understood.
2006-06-30 22:08:20 · answer #1 · answered by a13 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Thunder is the sound after lighting as everyone knows light travels faster then sound so that is the affect you see the lighting first then you hear the thunder. Same affect with a gun first you hear the sound but never see the light but by the time you hear the sound the bullet is long gone.
2006-06-30 06:49:14 · answer #2 · answered by soon to be meteoroligst 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lightning.
All sounds are patterns of air compression, and the sound of thunder is the wave that is created when lighting rapidly heats the surrounding air. You hear thunder after you see lightning because light travels faster than sound.
2006-07-04 16:33:13 · answer #3 · answered by Ms. Tyrrell 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are those attempting to sound serious in their answers truly serious??
The thunder you hear after a lightning bolt is the sound of the air rushing back to the center of the lightnings path and colliding with the other air.
If you are close enough to the bolt you can also hear the ripping/sizzling sound made when the air is shoved apart because of the bolt superheating the air.
2006-06-30 06:46:17 · answer #4 · answered by The Dutchman 1 · 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.
2006-06-30 06:39:05 · answer #5 · answered by xymeline 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lightning creates a vacuum. Thunder is the noise caused by the air rushing back in to fill the vacuum.
2006-06-30 06:48:38 · answer #6 · answered by Carl 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi, I've learned that thunder is caused when the clouds are full of vapor and fully saturated and they bang against each other which causes a loud noise-thunder.
2006-06-30 06:53:58 · answer #7 · answered by twingal01 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thunder is the sound that lightening makes. Lightening is hotter than the sun, therefore it expands the air around it so fast that it makes a loud clapping sound.
2006-06-30 06:38:46 · answer #8 · answered by Oblivia 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thunder is caused by the expansion of air due to lightning. Thats all it is.
2006-06-30 06:38:00 · answer #9 · answered by concerned_adult 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lightning. When lightning travels through the air it heats it to a temperature of approximately 54,000 degrees F (30,000 C), causing the air around the bolt to expand. This causes shock waves to travel out in all directions from the arc of electricity, which we hear as sound.
2006-06-30 06:40:59 · answer #10 · answered by michelsa0276 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋