asked 165k views
3 votes
During a storm, why do you see the flash of lightning before you hear the roar of thunder? What would it mean if you saw the flash of lightning and heard the roar of thunder at the same time? What would it mean if there were many seconds in between the flash of lightning and the roar of thunder?

asked
User Hydro
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8.4k points

1 Answer

5 votes
The speed of light is faster than the speed of sound. So that's why you see a flash of lightning before the roar of thunder. If you heard it at the same time as you saw it, well I will be praying for you. It would literally be exactly where you are. If you hear the thunder a long time after the flash, it means the lightning is far away.

T/5=miles away when T is time from the strike of lightning to hearing thunder
answered
User Bkillnest
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8.4k points
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