Why does it lightening be for thunder?
2006-11-14 20:39:41 · 12 answers · asked by denise t 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather
because LIGHT travels faster than SOUND!!!
Speed of light: 186,282.397 miles per second
Speed of sound: 1238 km/h or 770 mph
2006-11-14 20:43:38 · answer #1 · answered by Jeanjean 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
actually they both happen at exactly the same time, however the reason you hear them at different times has to do with the speed of sound as well as the speed of light
Since the speed of light, is MUCH faster than sound, you obviously see the flash of lightning almost right away, then depending on the distance the sound of the thunder has to travel, you will eventually hear the thunder, as its moving much slower then the light from the lightning
this is why there is the saying you can tell how far away lightning is by how long after you hear the thunder, however, its not that accurate
2006-11-14 20:51:42 · answer #2 · answered by Nitemare 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It happens at the same time. You just see the lightning first because light travels faster than sound, so covers the distance between you and the lightning quicker. You can tell if a storm is moving toward or away from you by timing the gap between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder. If the time difference is getting smaller for successive lightning, then the storm is approaching you.
2006-11-14 20:47:00 · answer #3 · answered by Labsci 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think lightning occurs after thunder, or they occur at about the same time, but since light travels much faster than sound, we see the lightining before we hear the thunder.
2006-11-14 20:45:48 · answer #4 · answered by Max 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the speed of light is faster than the speed of sound. That's why you always see the light from the thunder , before you hear it.
2006-11-14 20:44:00 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It actually happens simultaneously but because light travels faster than sound you see the flash before the bang. The farther away you are the longer the gap in time between the flash and the bang.
2006-11-14 20:46:21 · answer #6 · answered by Tim C 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you hear thunder, then you ARE in the zone to get hit by lightning, seek shelter immediately, no shelter, crouch down staying on the balls of your feet, lighting is VERY DANGEROUS, and is one of the few things tha scares me more than "Hillary Clinton".
2006-11-14 20:49:09 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because lightning travels faster than sound, they acually happen at the same time, but because light travels faster, you see it first.
2006-11-15 06:18:01 · answer #8 · answered by bria. 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is because of different speed of light and sound. The speed of light is about 300,000 Km/second and the sound speed is just 300 m/ second.
2006-11-14 20:48:28 · answer #9 · answered by Valeriu M 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
lightning and thunder happen at the same time!!! if you dont beleive me, go get shocked by a bolt of lightning and then tell me if you can feel it or hear it first...
2006-11-14 20:45:48 · answer #10 · answered by igot4onit 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋