Lightning comes before thunder in a way, the speed of light, the lightning comes before the speed of sound, the thunder. Once lightning occurs, the thunder will ALWAYS follow. There is a sound barrier that covers the earth. When the lightning breaks it, we see it faster than we hear the thunder.
So, lightning happens first and it causes thunder. The sound of thunder can tell you whether the lightning struck the ground near you or not. When you hear the cracking sound before a loud boom, then the lightning was likely a cloud to ground strike (or ground to cloud).
Which comes first lightning or thunder?
Lightning will always come before thunder, this is because lightning is actually the cause of thunder. So how does lightning cause thunder? Thunder is caused by lightning and appears as a result of the bright light striking energy.
A frequent question we ran across in our research was “Why is it that lightning comes first before Thunder?”.
The lightning comes before thunder because light is as fast as a flash and sound takes afyew seconds. Because light travels faster than sound, the second lightning passes the sound barrier there is a sonic boom, or thunder, therefore proving that thunder is a factor of lightning.
Why does Lightning come before Thunder?
Although thunder and lightning occur at the same time, the lightning is seen before the thunder is heard because light travels at a much faster speed than sound. Sound waves can also bounce off molecules in the air, causing it to travel in different directions.
Is it possible to have lightning but no Thunder?
No, it is not possible to have lightning without thunder, according to NOAA. Thunder is a direct result of lightning. Thunder is a direct result of lightning. If you see lightning but don’t hear thunder, it is because the thunder is too far away.
This of course begs the inquiry “What is the difference between lightning and Thunder?”
The loud rumbling, cracking, or crashing sound caused by expansion of rapidly heated air around a lightning bolt. A deep, rumbling noise resembling thunder. An alarming or startling threat or denunciation.(obsolete) The discharge of electricity ; a thunderbolt.(figurative) The spotlight.
What is more dangerous thunder or lightning?
Lightning is fast and very hot while thunder can usher in heavy rain and strong winds, but lightning is more dangerous and destructive than thunder. Lightning is formed when water and ice particles collide with warm, moist air and build up static energy while thunder is formed by the fast expansion of gases in the electrical charge of lightning.
What is the distance between lightning and Thunder?
Thunder can be heard up to 25 miles away from the lightning discharge, but the frequency of the sound changes with distance from the lightning channels that produce it, because higher frequencies are more quickly absorbed by the air.
What happens when a person is struck by lightning?
With a power of 300 kilovolts, lightning can heat the air up to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This combination of power and heat can cause serious damage to the human body. Being struck by lightning may lead to burns, rupturing of the eardrum, eye damage, cardiac arrest, and respiratory arrest.