Lightning travels at the speed of light, about 186,000 miles per second. This means that you see lightning pretty much when it happens. 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.
Q. How do you tell how far away thunder is?
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.
Table of Contents
- Q. How do you tell how far away thunder is?
- Q. How far away is a lightning strike if you hear the thunderclap?
- Q. How many seconds after Lightning is a mile?
- Q. Is it possible to thunder without lightning?
- Q. How long would it take to hear the thunder accompanying a lightning strike 5 miles away?
- Q. What are the two types of lightning?
- Q. What comes first thunder or lightning?
- Q. How many seconds will elapse between seeing lightning and hearing?
- Q. Should I take a shower in a thunderstorm?
- Q. What sign will tell you that a lightning is close enough to harm you?
- Q. Can you use the toilet during a thunderstorm?
Q. How far away is a lightning strike if you hear the thunderclap?
When you are out in the great outdoors and have no internet access, you can calculate the distance of a storm using the simple 3-second rule: Just count the seconds between when you see the lightning strike and when you hear the thunder clap and divide this number by three.
Q. How many seconds after Lightning is a mile?
5 seconds
Q. Is it possible to thunder without lightning?
No, it is not possible to have thunder without lightning. However, it is possible that you might see lightning and not hear the thunder because it was too far away. Sometimes this is called “heat lightning” because it occurs most often in the summer.
Q. How long would it take to hear the thunder accompanying a lightning strike 5 miles away?
The Correct Method to Calculate Lightning Distance
| If thunder is heard | The lightning is . . . |
|---|---|
| 15 seconds after a flash | 3 miles away |
| 20 seconds after a flash | 4 miles away |
| 25 seconds after a flash | 5 miles away |
| 30 seconds after a flash | 6 miles away |
Q. What are the two types of lightning?
There are two main types of lighting: intra-cloud lightning and cloud-to-ground lightning. Intra-cloud lightning is an electrical discharge between oppositely charged areas within the thunderstorm cloud. Cloud-to-ground lightning is a discharge between opposite charges in the cloud and on the ground.
Q. What comes first thunder or lightning?
If we are watching the sky, we see the lightning before we hear the thunder. That is because light travels much faster than sound waves. We can estimate the distance of the lightning by counting how many seconds it takes until we hear the thunder. It takes approximately 5 seconds for the sound to travel 1 mile.
Q. How many seconds will elapse between seeing lightning and hearing?
t = 20.96 seconds hence, time taken by the sound to reach by the observer is 20.96 sec.
Q. Should I take a shower in a thunderstorm?
“It is best to avoid all water during a lightning storm. Do not shower, bathe, wash dishes, or wash your hands.” The weather service also highlights that lightning “will travel through the wiring and plumbing if your building is struck.”
Q. What sign will tell you that a lightning is close enough to harm you?
Equate thunder with lightning, even if lightning is not visible where you are. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Even if you can’t hear thunder, you might nonetheless be at risk.
Q. Can you use the toilet during a thunderstorm?
No. Lightning can travel through plumbing. It is best to avoid all water during a lightning storm. Do not shower, bathe, wash dishes, or wash your hands.
