Purpose and formation of thunder?

Answer 1

Thunder is, even today, not completely understood by 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.
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.

Answer 2

Thunder is, even today, not completely understood by 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).

Answer 3

The friction of the air and the dry particles of matter floating in the atmosphere create an electrical charge. This charge may be positive or negative. The ground has a different static charge than the sky and the area with the highest opposite charge is usually the area that gets hit with the bolt of lightening which returns both areas to a state of equilibrium discharging the static charge. (An example being the static charge produced by a helicopter, before landing they use a cable to ground the helicopter discharging the static field so no one gets hurt.) The charge displaces molecules in the air causing the sound of thunder. (Like clapping your hands this does the same thing in principle.)

Answer 4

Don't know about the "purpose" of it...-I'll ask God about it if I make it to heaven before you do (you ARE going to Heaven- aren't you? :) ). I DO know that thunder is what occurs when the vacuum that lightning creates- collapses as the air rushes in to fill it.