Time difference between lightning and thunder
Do you really know the difference between lightning and thunder? Did you know that there are many more distinctions between these meteorological phenomena than sound and light? If you want to discover all their differences, stay and read on. Here we explain them all. time difference between lightning and thunder
Thunder vs Lightning
Main differences : time difference between lightning and thunder
- Lightning is an energy of electrical origin while. On the other hand, thunder is an energy of sound origin.
- Everything and lightning and thunder originate at the same moment, because light travels faster than sound, lightning is seen before the sound emitted by thunder can be heard.
- Lightning is fast and very hot, while thunder can cause torrential rain and strong winds. everything and thus, lightning is more dangerous and destructive than thunder.
- Lightning is formed when water and ice particles collide with hot, humid air and accumulate static energy. Instead, thunder is caused by the rapid expansion of gases in the electrical charge of lightning.
- The word “thunder” comes from the Old English word “thunor” and the Proto-Germanic word “thunraz”, while the word “lightning” comes from the Old English word “lihting” or “lightnen.”
The origin of thunder and lightning
A thunderstorm starts when there is an upward movement of hot, humid air. As it moves upward, it loses heat and cools and then compresses into cumulus-nimbus- like clouds where air currents form water droplets and ice particles that collide with each other and accumulate static energy. This is how thunder and lightning originate.
Planet Earth experiences various types of weather. Sometimes, depending on the season or the region where we are, the weather can be hot, dry, clear and calm, while at other times it can be cold, humid, cloudy and stormy. Some of them may cause only mild discomfort and some problems. Instead, there are inclement weather that can cause a lot of destruction. We must never underestimate the force of nature.
In fact, storms are very common in most areas of the world. These originate when there is a disturbance in the Earth’s atmosphere. Storms can be mild and harmless, or even appear in a small area of low pressure like a small cyclone. In the worst case, these storms can also strengthen and give way to a large storm with severe weather conditions with high winds, hurricanes, heavy rain or snow, blizzard, hail, thunderstorms . The latter are characterized by the discharge of a large number of thunder and lightning.
What is lightning?
Lightning, also known as lightning, is that sudden flash of electricity in the sky that can be straight or forked. Lightning emits a lot of heat, reaching a temperature that can exceed 20,000 degrees Celsius. In addition, the lightning is very fast, its average speed is 440 km per second!
Lightning strikes tall objects because it always takes the fastest path to the ground. If it forks, the lead beam descends toward the ground and then a return strike goes back up the path created by the dominant beam.
When the air around the lightning expands, it produces sound energy, which we know as thunder. In this sense, we can say that lightning originates thunder.
Everything and that lightning and thunder originate at the same moment, light travels faster than sound, so the lightning is seen before the thunder can be heard.
What is thunder?
Thunder is the sound you hear during electrical storms. It is caused by the rapid expansion of gases in the electrical charge of lightning in a thunderstorm. The sound of thunder can range from a low rumble to a snap, clap, or peal.
The word “thunder” comes from the Old English “thunor” and the Germanic “thunraz” which means “to resound.” Instead, the word “lightning” comes from the old English word “lihting” or “lighten” which means “to make shine”.
Curiosities of thunder and lightning
Did you know that to calm children in the strongest storms they are encouraged to count the time elapsed between the lightning strike and when they hear the thunder? This way they can tell if the storm is approaching or moving away. The longer the sound comes from that they can see the lightning, the farther away the storm will be.