Why Do We Have Lightning And Thunder

Lightning is an electrical discharge caused by imbalances between storm clouds and the ground or within the clouds themselves.

Why do we have lightning and thunder.

When lightning is made the same thing happens but on a much bigger scale. When water on the earth s surface is heated by the sun. If you re nearby to a lightning strike you may have heard thunder as a really loud crack almost like the sound of a whip being cracked. How do you know if lightning is nearby.

The reason we see lightning before we hear thunder is because light travels faster than sound. Energy from a lightning channel heats the air briefly to around 50 000 degrees fahrenheit much hotter than the surface of the sun. Lightning is an electric current. As the air rises water vapour cools and forms a cloud.

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. But most of the time we hear thunder as a loud long rumble. This is what we hear and call thunder the rumbling of thunder is simply caused by the vibration or sound of the air affected by lightning. When the attraction becomes too strong the positive and negative charges come together or discharge to balance the difference in a flash of lightning sometimes known as a lightning strike or lightning bolt.

Read more about nssl s lightning research here. If you see dark clouds then lightning could be present but the best thing you can do is to listen for thunder. The rapid expansion and heating of air caused by lightning produces the accompanying loud clap of thunder. 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.

If you hear thunder then you need to go indoors or get in a car. A scishow kids viewer wants to know why do lightning and thunder happen get your raincoat because jessi will take you inside a thunderstorm to give you. Fleetwood mac captured the essence of thunder and rain in the song dreams thunder only happens when its raining thunder is a consequence of lightning and lightning is born in rain clouds. When the ground is hot it heats the air above it.

This causes the air to explode outward. Most lightning occurs within the clouds.