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The lightning flash heats the air around it so quickly that the air expands very fast. When you heat something, it gets bigger – it expands. The air around the lightning flash expands so fast that it makes a shock wave in the air. That shock wave is the thunder that you hear.
What is the sound of thunder caused by?
Answer. Thunder is caused by the rapid expansion of the air surrounding the path of a lightning bolt. Monsoon storm producing a forked lightning bolt from the Red Hills Visitors Center at Saguaro National Park in Arizona.
What causes thunder without lightning?
No, it is not possible to have thunder without lightning. Thunder starts as a shockwave from the explosively expanding lightning channel when a large current causes rapid heating. However, it is possible that you might see lightning and not hear the thunder because it was too far away.
Why is thunder so loud?
A big noise Why is thunder so loud? It’s because the amount of electrical energy that flows from the cloud to the ground is so enormous: it’s like a very big waterfall of electricity. The louder the sound that you hear, the closer you are to the lightning. Light travels through air much faster than sound.
Why does thunder sound like a bomb?
The source of the sound you hear as thunder is the rapid expansion of air turned to plasma. The process is a type of explosion. This explosion happens along the entire length of the lightning bolt and take a split second.
Is it bad to take a bath during a thunderstorm?
No. Lightning can travel through plumbing. It is best to avoid all water during a lightning storm. Do not shower, bathe, wash dishes, or wash your hands.
How loud is a thunder?
The loudness of thunder can be expressed in decibels (dB). A clap of thunder typically registers at about 120 dB in close proximity to the ground stroke. This is 10 times louder than a garbage truck or pneumatic jackhammer drill.
Why is there lightning but no rain?
Dry thunderstorm refers to thunder and lightning that occur without bringing rain to the ground. In fact, the thunder-bearing clouds do produce rain but the rain droplets have evaporated in the air before reaching the ground. The anvil cloud is so high that rain coming from it evaporates before reaching the ground.
What does it mean when lightning keeps flashing?
Understanding Lightning: Continuing Current/Hot Lightning Flashes which contain both return strokes and continuing current are also common. These flashes will flicker, leaders/return strokes, and also have short periods of constant illumination, continuing current.
Can thunder crack windows?
Glass is a good insulator, so it is very unlikely that a window pane would ever be struck directly. But a lightning strike on the roof of a house will travel down through the building through the most conductive route available. This could also shatter a window if it was close enough.
What was the loudest thunder ever recorded?
The explosion was loud enough that this level of noise was recorded many miles away from the site of the blast. A sound of 174 decibels was recorded by barometers 100 miles from Krakatoa. That meant anyone within an 100 mile radius of Krakatoa had a chance of being literally deafened by this sound.
What comes first lightning or thunder?
If we are watching the sky, we see the lightning before we hear the thunder. That is because light travels much faster than sound waves. It takes approximately 5 seconds for the sound to travel 1 mile. If the thunder follows the lightning almost instantly, you know the lightning is too close for comfort!.
Can thunder shake a house?
Your house will shake depending the closeness of the lightning. Thunder is a sonic boom that comes from the rapid heating of the air around a lightning strike. Sonic booms cause massive shaking to nearby objects (your house). This will happen if the lightning is very close.
Can thunder damage your house?
When you hear thunder, you know there is lightning. If lightning strikes your house, it might not catch fire, but it can damage the electrical components of your house which can start a fire. It can also damage roof shingles, chimneys, and more.
Should you shut your windows in a thunderstorm?
If a thunderstorm hits your area the first thing you should do is unplug your computer – or you could risk losing everything on it. Lightning strikes can cause power surges that burn out home computers and monitors leaving them completely worthless.
Can I charge my phone during a thunderstorm?
It’s not safe for your phone. If you must charge a phone during a thunderstorm, it is safe to charge it from a laptop or power bank that is itself not connected to the electrical outlet. Anything connected to the electrical grid in the house is in danger. If your electricity is earthed properly, nothing to worry.
Is it safe to sit on a balcony during a thunderstorm?
Stay away from windows and doors: Sitting on an open porch to watch a thunderstorm is also dangerous. It is best to be in an interior room during a thunderstorm.
What happens when a lightning hits a plane?
Lightning will usually hit a protruding part of the plane, such as the nose or the tip of the wing. The aircraft then flies through the lightning flash, which travels along the body, having chosen the path of least resistance.
Is thunder an energy?
An average bolt of lightning, striking from cloud to ground, contains roughly one billion (1,000,000,000) joules of energy. In the forms of electricity, light, heat and thunder, this energy is all released by the flash in a matter of milli- or even microseconds.
How long can thunder last?
Approx. time ± 0.3 – 2 seconds.
Does lightning itself make a sound?
Yes. The sound the lightning itself makes is called thunder. Well in a vacuum, there is no sound, but normally lightning happens in the atmosphere and it does make a sound, it’s called thunder!.
