Why do you see lightning before you hear thunder?
Light travels through air at about 186,000 miles every second. Sound, however, is much slower. A sound wave travels through the air as vibrating molecules bump into their neighbors, transferring energy. This process takes time, so a sound wave moves about 1,000 feet in that same second (the speed varies a bit, depending on temperature and the amount of water vapor in the air). You can estimate the distance to the lightning strike based on this difference in the speed of light and sound. Count the seconds between the time you see the lightning and the time you hear the thunder. Divide the number of seconds by 5 to find the approximate distance, in miles, to the lightning strike.
Reference: The Science Of Everything – Steve Miller
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Filed Under: Science
