Thunder is the sound that comes from lightning. The change in pressure and temperature in the air surrounding the lightning bolt causes a sonic shock wave and this is what makes the sound of thunder.
There are small charged particles called electrons. The flow of electrons is what we call electrical current. Often when we rub two different materials together, there is some transfer of electrons. For example, when using a plastic comb, there can be some transfer of electrons which then causes our hair to build one type of electric charge and the comb to build up electric charge of the opposite sign. That’s why the hair starts to stand up and stick to other things. If we continue combing, we can get crackling sounds, which are tiny lightning bolts or electrical discharges. As Bridget has answered, these electrical discharges cause pressure and temperature changes which then makes sound.
It’s cool to do the speed of light – speed of sound comparison. Next time you see a flash of lightning (the forked kind is best) count the number of seconds it takes to hear the thunder. Multiply that number by 340, and that’s how far away the lightning struck, in meters. Light travels really fast (7 times round the world in a second, or something) but sound is slooow.
For full disclosure: I go storm chasing and I love thunderstorms.
Thunder is the sound created by lightning travelling through the air. It travels so fast that temperatures of around 30,000C can be reached. This all happen very quickly in the air which heats up very fast and the change in pressure and temperature around the air causes sonic shock wave heard as thunder and if close enough, the windows of a house can rattle.
Even though I may go storm chasing to take photos of lightning, I make sure that I’m never too close to the storm. Since light travels fast than sound, I count the seconds that it takes for the thunder to reach me and divide by 3 to calculate how far away the storm is in kilometres.
Thunder is the sound that comes from lightning. The change in pressure and temperature in the air surrounding the lightning bolt causes a sonic shock wave and this is what makes the sound of thunder.
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There are small charged particles called electrons. The flow of electrons is what we call electrical current. Often when we rub two different materials together, there is some transfer of electrons. For example, when using a plastic comb, there can be some transfer of electrons which then causes our hair to build one type of electric charge and the comb to build up electric charge of the opposite sign. That’s why the hair starts to stand up and stick to other things. If we continue combing, we can get crackling sounds, which are tiny lightning bolts or electrical discharges. As Bridget has answered, these electrical discharges cause pressure and temperature changes which then makes sound.
1
It’s cool to do the speed of light – speed of sound comparison. Next time you see a flash of lightning (the forked kind is best) count the number of seconds it takes to hear the thunder. Multiply that number by 340, and that’s how far away the lightning struck, in meters. Light travels really fast (7 times round the world in a second, or something) but sound is slooow.
1
For full disclosure: I go storm chasing and I love thunderstorms.
Thunder is the sound created by lightning travelling through the air. It travels so fast that temperatures of around 30,000C can be reached. This all happen very quickly in the air which heats up very fast and the change in pressure and temperature around the air causes sonic shock wave heard as thunder and if close enough, the windows of a house can rattle.
Even though I may go storm chasing to take photos of lightning, I make sure that I’m never too close to the storm. Since light travels fast than sound, I count the seconds that it takes for the thunder to reach me and divide by 3 to calculate how far away the storm is in kilometres.
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