If any of you braniacs can break this down well for me, I'd appreciate it.
2006-08-08 14:14:00 · 7 answers · asked by superman41082 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Trivia
Lightening is caused when a cloud has built up an electrical charge with relation to the ground or with another cloud. When the charge difference is great enough, the electrons jump between the tow points and cause the flash of lightening.
The thunder is caused by the lightening. The flash of lightening is so hot, it heats the air around it and this heated air expands at a rapid rate thus causing the 'Boom".
The further the lightening is away from you the more "rolling" or drawn out the sound is. This is caused by the sound reflecting off buildings, mountains or the ground and clouds.
2006-08-08 15:16:00 · answer #1 · answered by jdomanico 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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.
Lightning is a powerful natural electrostatic discharge produced during a thunderstorm. This abrupt electric discharge is accompanied by the emission of visible light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation. The electric current passing through the discharge channels rapidly heats and expands the air into plasma producing acoustic shock waves (thunder) in the atmosphere.
2006-08-08 14:21:00 · answer #2 · answered by Zeta 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
2006-08-08 14:18:43 · answer #3 · answered by littlehuevo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lightening is produced when an electrical charge jumps from one cloud to another, or from a cloud to the ground. Thunder is what happens when the air is split by lightening travelling through it, and then rumbling as it comes back together again -- same as the rumble that you hear when a supersonic jet plane goes by.
2006-08-09 12:34:13 · answer #4 · answered by old lady 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lightning happens when positive and negative ions collide. Thunder happens when the lightning divides air masses quickly and they slam back together.
2006-08-08 14:19:21 · answer #5 · answered by spackler 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
im pretty sure lightning is the build up off electrons in clouds and the electrons way to the ground is lightning.
i dont know about thunder
2006-08-08 14:18:36 · answer #6 · answered by Da man 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God.
2006-08-08 14:17:32 · answer #7 · answered by dementors_suck 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋