Thunder and lightning, very very frightening?

Question

Im in the middle of a thunderstorm at the moment, and obviously thunder is the sound of the lightning delayed because light travels faster than sound. But why do you think that sometimes thunder is louder than other cracks of thunder? I mean sometimes you get a giant boom of thunder and then other times you get just a rumble!?

Know what I mean?

Answer 1

When lightning strikes it produces a huge electrical discharge which superheats the air surrounding it causing the air to expand so fast it breaks the sound barrier and creates a sonic boom, this is thunder.

Lightning is often several miles long and the sound of thunder is created along the length of the lightning stoke. You'll hear the thunder from the part of the lightning nearest to you first, the rest of the sound will arrive as a rumble over the next few seconds.

Different lightning strokes have different intensities so some will be louder or quieter than others. How loud it sounds to you also depends how close you are to the thunder itself.

Answer 2

The difference is magnitude and distance. Thunder is as previously stated caused by lightning super heating the air, which expands so fast it breaks the sound barrier and creates a sonic boom just like a jet plane.

Air due to it's compressive ability isn't the best medium for transferring sound so the sound waves dissipate rather quickly as you move away from the origin, which accounts for louder and quieter cracks of thunder.

Now for rumbles and "rolling thunder", sound waves when they hit something solid, like a mountain or buildings, echo which causes the sound to double back and produce longer effective sounds. Remember the sound is traveling quite fast so in can hit an object that you may no even be able to see and reflect back.

Answer 3

The lightning and thunder are caused because of only one reason: Transfer of charges from one place to another.

The transfer could happen in many ways:
1. WIthin the cloud (where we hear gentle rumble)
2. Between clouds (this is possibly the medium rumble)
3. Between cloud and earth (this is the most dangerous and seriously life-threatening booms as they strike and burn anything from trees to buildings)

The intensity of lightning depends on the amount of charges accumulated in the cloud before transferring. Depending on the intensity of lightning and the distance we are from the location of lightning, the sound of thunder may vary from a very light rumble (like a purr of a cat) to a huge roar (like putting ears into a lion's mouth while roaring, or like 10 jet engines taking off at the same time).

Answer 4

Thunder and lightning isn't frightening. To me anyways. I grew up on a farm and from the living room window it was nothing but wide open space. One of the things I miss about living in the country is listening to thunder storms and waiting for the lightening to strike.

Answer 5

I've always heard that it depends on how far away it is at the time. I had always been told that you could count the seconds between the lightning and the thunder and tell how many miles away it was. But maybe that's just an urban myth. . .

Answer 6

Thunder won't hurt you but lightning could do you in.
Lightning bolts vary greatly in their strength,the voltage and current.
The more energetic ones would create a lot more sound.
A far energetic bolt could sound like a closer weaker strike.

Answer 7

It depends on how close or far lightning strikes. If that happens and you hear thunder at the same time in real life, then yeah, it can be frightning.

Answer 8

Yeah i understand. Thunderstorms are too crazy especially living in the lightning capital

Answer 9

From what I understand, thunder is still somewhat of a mystery. I love thunderstorms though.

Answer 10

Thunder and lightning, very very exciting