Why Do We Have Lightning And Thunder

When lightning is made the same thing happens but on a much bigger scale.

Why do we have lightning and thunder. Lightning is an electrical discharge caused by imbalances between storm clouds and the ground or within the clouds themselves. How does lightning form. Read more about nssl s lightning research here. Energy from a lightning channel heats the air briefly to around 50 000 degrees fahrenheit much hotter than the surface of the sun.

Fleetwood mac captured the essence of thunder and rain in the song dreams thunder only happens when its raining thunder is a consequence of lightning and lightning is born in rain clouds. When the ground is hot it heats the air above it. This warm air rises. This is what we hear and call thunder the rumbling of thunder is simply caused by the vibration or sound of the air affected by lightning.

A scishow kids viewer wants to know why do lightning and thunder happen get your raincoat because jessi will take you inside a thunderstorm to give you. To make this electric current first you need a cloud. How do you know if lightning is nearby. As the air rises water vapour cools and forms a cloud.

The reason we see lightning before we hear thunder is because light travels faster than sound. Most lightning occurs within the clouds. This causes the air to explode outward. 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.

But most of the time we hear thunder as a loud long rumble. The sound of thunder should serve as a warning to anyone outside that they are within striking distance of the storm and need to get to a safe place immediately. If you hear thunder then you need to go indoors or get in a car. When water on the earth s surface is heated by the sun.

The rapid expansion and heating of air caused by lightning produces the accompanying loud clap of thunder. When the attraction becomes too strong the positive and negative charges come together or discharge to balance the difference in a flash of lightning sometimes known as a lightning strike or lightning bolt.