What happens to the air within the path of a bolt of lightning???

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What happens to the air within the path of a bolt of lightning???

Is it true that the strike then causes a plasma tube to collapse,creating the shockwave reverberation in the air???

2007-03-05 01:00:01 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather

3 answers

The heat generated by the lightning causes the air to rapidly expand. The expansion is faster than the speed of sound and so a sonic boom is created. It's this sonic boom we hear as thunder.

2007-03-05 02:29:28 · answer #1 · answered by Trevor 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋

The bolt heats and ionizes the air causing a rapid expansion.
The thunder is the result of the expanding super heated air,it then returns to normal.

2007-03-05 09:42:31 · answer #2 · answered by Billy Butthead 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋

Yes.

2007-03-05 09:03:21 · answer #3 · answered by rico3151 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋