What makes thunder?

Answer 1

Thunder is, even today, not completely understood by modern science. The word usually describes a sonic shock wave caused by the rapid heating and expansion of the air surrounding and within a bolt of lightning. The bolt changes the air into plasma and it instantly explodes, causing the sound known as a thunder clap.

This phenomenon occurs at the same time as a lightning flash, but a thunder clap is usually heard after lightning is seen because light travels faster (186,000 miles / 299,338 kilometers per second) than sound (around 700 miles / 1,126 kilometers per hour, varying depending on temperature, humidity and air pressure). In very close proximity to the lighting strike, sound and light can be heard and seen almost simultaneously.

Fear of thunder is called astraphobia.
The cause of thunder has been the subject of centuries of speculation and scientific inquiry. The first recorded theory is attributed to Aristotle in the third century BC, and an early speculation was that it was caused by the collision of clouds. Subsequently, numerous other theories have been proposed. By the mid-19th century, the accepted theory was that lightning produced a vacuum along its path, and that thunder was caused by the subsequent motion of air rushing to fill the vacuum. Later in the 19th century it was believed that thunder was caused by an explosion of steam when water along the lightning channel was heated. Another theory was that gaseous materials were created by lightning and then exploded. In the 20th century a consensus evolved that thunder must begin with a shock wave in the air due to the sudden thermal expansion of the plasma in the lightning channel.

Experimental support for this theory came from spectroscopic temperature measuring up to 36000 K. Arc photography then proved [citation needed] that the plasma did not expand thermally in all directions, but preferentially at right angles to the electric current. According to Graneau, the mechanism for this is not yet completely understood in terms of magnetohydrodynamics.


[edit] Etymology
The d in thunder is epenthetic, and is now found in Modern Dutch donder, from earlier Old English þunor, Middle Dutch donre, together with Old Norse þorr, Old Frisian þuner, Old High German donar descended from Proto-Germanic *þunraz, built on a PIE stem *(s)tene- also found in Sanskrit tana-itnu- "thundering", Latin tonare "to thunder" (see also tornado). The Germanic god Thor was named after the thunder by gowtham.


[edit] Calculating distance
Since sound and light travel at different speeds through the atmosphere, one can estimate how far away the bolt of lightning is by timing the interval between seeing the flash and hearing the thunder. The speed of sound in air is approximately 340 m/s (761 mph). The speed of light is so fast that it can be ignored in this calculation. Therefore, the lightning is approximately one kilometer distant for every three seconds (or one mile for every five seconds). Thunder is seldom heard at distances over 15 miles.

Answer 2

What Makes Thunder

Answer 3

Thunder Thunder is, even on the instant, no longer thoroughly understood with the aid of modern-day technological expertise. The be conscious in many circumstances describes a sonic ask your self wave led to with the aid of the speedy heating and growth of the air surrounding and interior a bolt of lightning. The bolt adjustments the air into plasma and it promptly explodes, inflicting the sound trouble-free as a thunder clap. This phenomenon happens on the comparable time as a lightning flash, yet a thunder clap is in many circumstances heard after lightning is considered because of the fact gentle travels speedier (3 hundred,000,000 meters in step with 2d) than sound (around 3 hundred meters in step with 2d). In very close proximity to the lighting fixtures strike, sound and lightweight could be heard and considered virtually concurrently

Answer 4

The air that is pushed out of the way be lighting fills the void. It acts like a vacuum, the air moves out of the way and when it rushes back in to fill the void the in rushing air makes "thunder".


Peace

Answer 5

Henry Hudson and his crew playing with their balls in the Highlands (Catskills). Oh, seriously, I mean after the discharge of electricty called "lightning" it's the air molecules slamming back together. Or I've been eating scrambled eggs for breakfast and beans for lunch.

Answer 6

thunder is caused by lighting i think like a sonic boom or sumthin but its lighting anyways

Answer 7

Super-heated air being displaced by lightning.

Answer 8

lightning ionizing the air it passes thru and the air near it. the air outside that field rushes in so fast it make a loud bang or rumble

Answer 9

an angel getting a strike while bowling in the sky

seriously i dont know lol