Why You Hear Thunder After Lightning — The Delay Explained in One Line of Physics
• The delay between seeing lightning and hearing thunder is due to the difference in the speed of light and the speed of sound.
• For every three seconds between lightning and thunder, the storm is approximately one kilometer away.
• If you hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning and should seek immediate shelter.
Light and sound speeds explain the delay
Have you ever wondered why you see lightning first and then hear the thunder moments later? The explanation lies in a fundamental principle of physics: the vast difference in the speeds of light and sound. Lightning, a sudden electrostatic discharge during a thunderstorm, emits light that travels at approximately 299,792,458 meters per second (the speed of light). In contrast, thunder, the sound produced by the rapid heating of air around the lightning channel, travels at a much slower pace of about 343 meters per second (the speed of sound) under typical atmospheric conditions.
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