2006-07-27 13:28:19 · 21 answers · asked by strictly_maggie 3 in Environment
Light traveling faster than sound would make the answer lightning.
2006-07-29 10:36:16 · answer #1 · answered by lovelostboys 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Lightning is the passing of electric current through the air. If you've ever seen one of those "Presto Hot Doggers" that pass current through a hot dog to heat it, it's not too hard to understand that current has the same effect on air. Lightning is so much power, so fast, that it superheats the air instantly. The superheated air expands and collapses violently causing the shockwave you hear as thunder. So it's lightning first, causing the thunder. Then of course since the light travels 186,000 miles per second, you see the lightning literally instantly. The shockwave however, travels at a comparative snails pace of 1,100 feet per second. Bear in mind a mile is 5,280 feet. Example, if the thunder is heard 5 seconds after the lightning is seen, then it happened about a mile away from you.
2006-07-27 20:47:36 · answer #2 · answered by batty_professor 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lightning produces thunder. However sound travel slower than light. So you will see a lightning bolt in the horizon before you hear the thunder that it produces.
But if you are around the corner somewhere, you will probably just hear the thunder as light travel in straight lines and sound can bend round corners.
2006-07-27 20:36:20 · answer #3 · answered by TheSuccessShop 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lightning. The speed of light is faster than the speed of sound. Thus, the amount of time separating the flash and the bang is more as you move farther from the lightning strike. If you were at ground zero of a lighting strike, you may not be able to tell the difference because the flash and sound occur almost at the same time, but the flash is slightly ahead of the sound.
2006-07-27 20:42:39 · answer #4 · answered by Tom Clark 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Light travels much faster than sound, so, first the lightning, then the thunder.
2006-07-27 20:32:36 · answer #5 · answered by Shaula 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They both happen at the same time, but because light travels faster than sound, we see the lightning before we hear the thunder.
2006-07-27 20:32:09 · answer #6 · answered by menezes_dean 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They happen at the same time. What separates them is the immense difference between the speed of light and the speed of sound.
By the way, lightening is a spark, and the thunder is simply it crackling - on a giant scale, of course.
Aha - the previous respondant said sound bends round corners. Not quite true. The sound is reflected (echoed) of walls, trees, mountains, etc.
If you had a big mirror on the corner, you would see the lightning from around the corner - same thing. Lightening just does not reflect too well of brick walls and stuff.
2006-07-27 20:36:45 · answer #7 · answered by nick s 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lightning generally comes first because light travels faster than sound. However if they are coming close together or at the same time, LOOK OUT, it may be right on top of you!
2006-07-27 20:33:07 · answer #8 · answered by Kraftee 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lightning first, followed by thunder, which determines how far away the lightning and storm is.
2006-07-27 20:32:07 · answer #9 · answered by Chreap 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Storm--then the Lightning----then the thunder---in that order.
2006-07-27 20:32:38 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lightning causes the thunder clap as air rushes in to fill vacuum left by lightning flash. Similar to sonic boom from aircraft.
2006-07-27 20:34:34 · answer #11 · answered by LeBlanc 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋