2007-08-27 01:19:34 · 9 answers · asked by hassium_altair 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather
Lightning is the static discharge of large amounts of electricity from cloud to cloud or cloud to ground.. i.e. the bright flash of light. You see it almost immediately.
Thunder is caused by the lightning. The rapid expansion of air immediately surrounding the lightning bolt causes a "pressure wave" which creates sound. Kind of like a sonic boom from a plane breaking the sound barrier. Sound travels about 1 mile every 5 seconds so if you see a lighting bolt 2 miles away, you will hear the thunder about 10 seconds later.
The sometimes long rumbling of thunder is because part of the lighning bolt may be closer than another part. So if the top of the bolt is 4 miles away and the bottom is 1 mile away, you will hear the thunder for about 15 seconds. The sounds can also vary due to local terrain affects also.
2007-08-27 01:35:05 · answer #1 · answered by wxperson 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lightning is light and Thunder is a sound. Light travels faster than sound so during a thunderstorm you'll usually see lightning before hearing thunder. Remember, when there's Thunder there's lightning. Or when there's Lightning there's thunder. Immediately head to a sturdy shelter if you see lightning or hear thunder.
2007-08-27 03:33:28 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lightning is the cause and thunder is the result.
2007-08-27 06:17:20 · answer #3 · answered by Arasan 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
lightning is the electricity travelling to the ground, thunder is all the air getting pushed out of the way by the extremely fast lightning bolt.
2007-08-27 01:27:28 · answer #4 · answered by applebeer 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Thunder is something which would be heard, at an analogous time as lightning is something which would be seen interior the sky. Thunder may be heard plenty later than once you already observed the lightning. this is using the fact mild travels quicker than sound.
2016-10-17 02:32:43 · answer #5 · answered by saucier 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You see lightning. You hear thunder.
2007-08-27 01:39:58 · answer #6 · answered by Plea_of_insanity 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You see lightning and hear thunder.
2007-08-27 01:56:39 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
lightning is d light thunder is d sound
2007-08-27 01:38:06 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lightening is what's happening, thunder is the soudn of what's happening.
2007-08-27 01:28:36 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋