Can lightning and/or thunder break a glass window?

Answer 1

Glass is a very poor conductor of electricity, so you would not expect lightning to strike it directly. However, lightning does create a sonic boom (a shockwave caused by superheated air expanding faster than the speed of sound), which could easily shatter a nearby window.

The sound intensity 100 feet away from a lightning strike can be as high as 120 decibels. If you were one foot away, the intensity would be 100 times as great, meaning 140 decibels. This is enough to shatter a plate glass window in the right conditions.

Answer 2

Lighting can easily break a window its a very bad conductor. Thunder cant break a window because thunder is just the sound of lightning striking something. However lightning usually wont strike a window unless its facing upwards and high near the top of the building. Also most windows know a days can be laminated for about 200$ and it wont break as easily as normal windows that came with the home.

Answer 3

My boyfriend was in Africa last year when a really bad thunderstorm struck. They were in a large tin roofed hut when the storm struck. Lightning either hit the hut or something very close by and it blew most of the windows out. Fortunately they'd gone outside and were stood under an awning at the time so no-one was hurt although everyone was deafened and blinded for quite a few seconds.

Answer 4

I doubt thunder could...it doesn't get that loud. Lightning might be able to from heat, but more likely something lfying through the air from a lightning strike would break a window.

Answer 5

Thunder alone cannot break glass because to break the glass window there has to be a force--such as pressure or wind. Lightening on the other hand, can very well break a glass window if it strikes close enough to that window. The impact of hitting an object close by is generating enough pressure. I have experienced exactly that in my childhood. We had a cherry tree pretty close to the window, and lightening struck that tree---and broke our window.....

Answer 6

Lighting? Unless the window is facing upwards so there will be a chance for the lightning to strike.

Answer 7

Lightning Yes
Thunder NO

Answer 8

Yes lighting can produce a loud sonic boom that can shatter a windshield, I had never heard how loud a sonic boom was until last nite it literally scared me sounded like a cannon made a hole in the street it was that loud' I woke up this morning to my back windshield of my car shattered