In electronics class the instructor surmised that the massive amount of electricity actually burned the air molecules it was using as a conductor and created a vacuum. The air rushing back into the space caused the crackling. This should be true in both the micro and macro events. (Tesla coils etc) Any one?
2006-07-20 22:33:07 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Absolutely correct! What's "burned" (oxidized) here is actually mainly the oxygen in the air - the (rapid) oxidizing causes a vacuum which causes the air surrounding this process to move rapidly, and when these air masses "collide", they swing ... and what we hear is "thunder". This basic principle works under all conditions; sometimes when you have a short-circuit in a switch, for example, you'll see a rather bright flash, followed immediately by a sort of "bang".
This is also what produces at least some of the sound in an internal combustion engine, though due to the pressure produced by the piston, there isn't really too much of a vacuum.
2006-07-20 22:44:36 · answer #1 · answered by Axel "mahto" 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Thunder is caused by the explosive expansion of superheated air about the lightning strike.
Your electronics instructor was quite wrong with what he surmised. The "burning", or rapid heating, of air molecules would cause them to gain a large amount of energy and, in effect, attempt to expand their effective volume. They would not simply disappear altogether and create a vacuum, which would violate several physical laws.
2006-07-20 22:41:31 · answer #2 · answered by stellarfirefly 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is like a electric discharge, free electron are created because of the colizions of ions and electrons, so more electrons are created. A rich density of free electric charges can be seen as a conductor, but the moleculs are not burn they gain cinetic energy, they are in a plasma state,and many of them ionized.
The tempreature is high because thei in plasma state in erth atmosfer so you will hear a boom, cose by the increset presuer do to high tempreture.
2006-07-20 22:44:16 · answer #3 · answered by aristidetraian 4 · 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.
2006-07-20 22:43:10 · answer #4 · answered by jazzyjd5 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well according to me the electricity produced may heat the molecules increasing their kinetic energy as a result they strike other molecules with a large force giving away sound and heat energy.
2006-07-21 00:07:30 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
When a little warm cloud hits a little cold cloud and when they meet they go "BOOM BOOM BOOM."
2006-07-20 22:36:40 · answer #6 · answered by ^v^ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why ask if you already know.
2006-07-20 22:37:03 · answer #7 · answered by Greg 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋