How far away did the lightning flash occur assume the speed of sound in air is 340m S?

For metric-system conversions, follow this method: Sound travels at about 340 m/s, so multiply the number of seconds you counted by 340, and you’ll know how many meters away lightning struck. A three-second count, then, would place the lightning strike about 1,020 m away, or roughly 1 km.

What is the speed of sound if the thunder is heard 5 seconds after the flash of lightning the temperature of air is 28 degrees Celsius?

346 meters per second
At a temperature like 28 degrees C (82 degrees F), the speed is 346 meters per second. As you can see, the speed of sound changes depending on the temperature and the humidity; but if you want a round number, then something like 350 meters per second and 1,200 feet per second are reasonable numbers to use.

Why do we see the flash of lightning first and hear the thunder later?

Lightning is seen earlier and thunder is heard later because the speed of sound is 330 m/s and the speed of light is 300,000,000 m/s. Light travels faster than a sound. Thus, light from the lightning reaches first to you. The sound from the lightning takes longer to reach and hence heard later.

How far away did lightning strike if it took 4s to hear the thunder?

After you see a flash of lightning, count the number of seconds until you hear the thunder. (Use the stop watch or count “One-Mississippi, Two-Mississippi, Three-Mississippi,” etc.) For every 5 seconds the storm is one mile away. Divide the number of seconds you count by 5 to get the number of miles.

Does counting seconds after lightning work?

A general rule of thumb to know how far off a bolt of lightning is when you hear thunder, if you count the number of seconds between the flash of lightning and the sound of thunder, and then divide by 5, you’ll get the distance in miles to the lightning: 5 seconds = 1 mile, 15 seconds = 3 miles, 0 seconds = very close.

How do you calculate distance from thunder to KM?

Calculate the storm distance. If you want to know approximately how far away is lightning in miles, divide the number of seconds by 5, for kilometers divide the seconds by 3. It will give us 3 miles or 5 kilometers.

Can you have thunder without lightning?

No, it is not possible to have thunder without lightning. Thunder starts as a shockwave from the explosively expanding lightning channel when a large current causes rapid heating. However, it is possible that you might see lightning and not hear the thunder because it was too far away. Thunder is caused by lightning.

How fast does thunder travel?

When lightning strikes, a noise is made which we call thunder. Thunder travels much slower, at the speed of sound, about 1088 feet per second. It takes sound about 5 seconds to travel one mile. You can observe this for yourself.

What is the speed of lightning?

1. The speed of lightning. While the flashes we see as a result of a lightning strike travel at the speed of light (670,000,000 mph) an actual lightning strike travels at a comparatively gentle 270,000 mph.

Why is thunder so loud?

Why is thunder so loud? It’s because the amount of electrical energy that flows from the cloud to the ground is so enormous: it’s like a very big waterfall of electricity. The louder the sound that you hear, the closer you are to the lightning. Light travels through air much faster than sound.

Can you have lightning without thunder?

Thunderstorms always have lightning (thunder is caused by lightning, and you can’t have a thunderstorm without thunder!), but you can have lightning without a thunderstorm. Lightning can also be seen in volcanic eruptions surface nuclear detonations, and in heavy snowstorms (“thunder snow”).

Why do lightning and thunder occur at the same time?

Thunder and lightning actually happen at the same time, but since light travels faster than sound, you’ll see the light from lightning ahead of the grumbling sound of thunder. The roar of thunder is caused by the rapidly expanding atmosphere when a bolt of lightning heats the air along its path.

How far away does Lightning sound when it strikes?

If the thunder sounds more like a rumble, the lightning was at least several miles away. The loud boom that you sometimes hear is created by the main lightning channel as it reaches the ground.

How do you calculate the distance between lightning and Thunder?

Simply count the number of seconds between the flash and the sound of thunder and divide by 5 to get the distance in miles. So, 1 second = less than a mile (a fifth of a mile), 5 seconds = 1 mile, 20 seconds = 4 miles, etc. This technique is known as the “flash-to-bang” method.

How far away can Thunder Thunder be heard?

Weather.gov > Safety > Understanding Lightning: Thunder 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.