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Thunder is created when lightning passes through the air. The lightning discharge heats the air rapidly and causes it to expand. The temperature of the air in the lightning channel may reach as high as 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun.
Why does thunder always come after lightning?
The loud thunder that follows the lightning bolt is commonly said to come from the bolt itself. However, the grumbles and growls we hear in thunderstorms actually come from the rapid expansion of the air surrounding the lightning bolt. As the heated air expands, the pressure drops, the air cools, and it contracts.
Why do we hear thunder a few seconds after lightning?
Answer: The speed of sound (344 m/s) is very less than the speed of light(3 x 108 m/s). The Sound of thunder takes more time to reach the surface of Earth as compared to light. Hence, a flash is seen before we hear a thunder.
Why does thunder shake the house?
Why does the house shake when there is a thunder storm? 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).
What is the 30 30 rule for lightning?
Don’t forget the 30-30 rule. After you see lightning, start counting to 30. If you hear thunder before you reach 30, go indoors. Suspend activities for at least 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder.
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.
Which is first thunder or lightning?
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!.
Does all lightning hit the ground?
Does lightning strike from the sky down, or the ground up? The answer is both. Cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning comes from the sky down, but the part you see comes from the ground up. A typical cloud-to-ground flash lowers a path of negative electricity (that we cannot see) towards the ground in a series of spurts.
How loud is lightning up close?
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. By comparison, sitting in front of speakers at a rock concert can expose you to a continuous 120+ dB level.
Does lightning make noise?
Thunder is the sound caused by a nearby flash of lightning and can be heard for a distance of only about 10 miles from the lightning strike. The sound of thunder should serve as a warning to anyone outside that they are within striking distance of the storm and need to get to a safe place immediately!.
Should I unplug stuff during a storm?
Anything that’s plugged into an outlet in your home is at risk of suffering damage from an electrical surge during thunderstorms. If an electrical storm has been forecast, unplug your computer, laptop, and other devices, and consider unplugging appliances.
Is it safe to use the toilet during a thunderstorm?
No. Lightning can travel through plumbing. It is best to avoid all water during a lightning storm.
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.
Can I watch TV during a thunderstorm?
“Watching the TV is always OK.” Don’t hold on to a corded phone, however, or an appliance plugged into an outlet, because those pose a risk. If lightning strikes, the current could carry through those appliances, he said.
Can Bluetooth attract lightning?
Bluetooth is a wireless device so lighting does not attract lightning. Wireless device will not be affected during lighting.
Where does lightning strike the most?
The most lightning-struck location in the world Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela is the place on Earth that receives the most lightning strikes. Massive thunderstorms occur on 140-160 nights per year with an average of 28 lightning strikes per minute lasting up to 10 hours at a time.
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 does it mean when thunder lasts a long time?
Thunder lasts longer than lightning due to the time it takes for the sound to travel from different parts of the lightning channel. When the sound of thunder has a rumbling quality, it is the sound waves reaching the listener at different times owing to the shape of the lightning strike.
How can thunder hurt you?
The electricity that does enters a person’s body can cause devastating neurological damage, including memory loss, chronic pain and seizures in addition to the relatively superficial burns on the outside of someone’s skin.
