Information AboutThunder |
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Thunder is the sound made by Lightning . Depending on the nature of the lightning and distance of the hearer, it can range from a sharp, loud crack to a long, low rumble. It is produced by a sonic Shock Wave caused by the rapid expansion of the air surrounding and within a bolt of Lightning . THE CAUSE OF THUNDER The cause of thunder has been the subject of centuries of speculation and scientific Aircraft . More recently, this consensus has been eroded by the observation that measured Overpressure s in simulated lightning are greater than what could be achieved by the amount of heating found. Alternative proposals rely on electrodynamic effects of the massive current acting on the plasma in bolt of lightning. P Graneau, The cause of thunder, 1989 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 22 1083-1094 doi:10.1088/0022-3727/22/8/012 ETYMOLOGY
See also: CALCULATING DISTANCE A flash of lightning, followed after some seconds by a rumble of thunder, is for many people the first illustration of the the fact that Sound (like Light ) does not travel instantaneously, and that sound is by far the slower. Using this difference, one can estimate how far away the bolt of lightning is by timing the interval between seeing the flash and hearing thunder. The Speed Of Sound in air is approximately 344 M /s or 769 mph. The Speed Of Light can be assumed to be Infinite in this calculation because one must know that there has been a lightning strike before starting counting. Therefore, the lightning is approximately one kilometer distant for every three seconds (or one mile for every five seconds). Thunder is seldom heard at distances over 15 miles. FEAR OF THUNDER Fear of thunder is known as Astraphobia . SEE ALSO REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS |
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