you hear aclap of thunder .what can you infer about its causes?
486857
It is the very high voltage breaking the resistance between the clouds and the earth
1140623
maybe someone got shot right outside your window while it was raining.. perfect cover\n\nNo, really the different sounds are created by different frequencies and wavelentghs of the vibrations caused by the electricity splitting the air. This can vary from the sonic boom you hear when a F15 crosses Mach 1 .. to the crack noise you hear with a whip. As for the loudness, it is a function of intensity and proximity.. so yea the same lightning will be louder when its closer.. but it could also be a very strong lightning far away.. the way you could tell would be the difference in light and sound... \n\ni hope this helps
757146
Lightning is one of the oldest observed natural phenomena on earth. At the same time, it also is one of the least understood. While lightning is simply a gigantic spark of static electricity (the same kind of electricity that sometimes shocks you when you touch a doorknob), scientists do not have a complete grasp on how it works, or how it interacts with solar flares impacting the upper atmosphere or the earth's electromagnetic field.\nLightning has been seen in volcanic eruptions, extremely intense forest fires, surface nuclear detonations, heavy snowstorms, and in large hurricanes. However, it is most often seen in thunderstorms.At any given moment, there can be as many as 2,000 thunderstorms occurring across the globe. This translates to more than 14.5 MILLION storms each year. NASA satellite research indicated these storms produce lightning flashes about 40 times a second worldwide.This is a change from the commonly accepted value of 100 flashes per second which was an estimate from 1925. Whether it is 40, 100, or somewhere in between, we live on an electrified planet.\n\nThe Sound of Thunder\nRegardless of whether lightning is positive or negative, thunder is produced the same way. Thunder is the acoustic shock wave resulting from the extreme heat generated by a lightning flash. Lightning can be as hot as 54,000°F (30,000°C), a temperature that is five times the surface of the sun! When lightning occurs, it heats the air surrounding its channel to that same incredible temperature in a fraction of a second.\n\nLike all gases, when air molecules are heated, they expand. The faster they are heated, the faster their rate of expansion. But when air is heated to 54,000°F in a fraction of a second, a phenomenon known as "explosive expansion" occurs. This is where air expands so rapidly that it compresses the air in front of it, forming a shock wave similar to a sonic boom. Exploding fireworks produce a similar result.\n\nWhat is the difference between a thundershower and a thunderstorm?  \nTechnically, there is none. In general, the term "thundershower" tends to denote a fairly weak storm with light to moderate rainfall and low levels of lightning activity. However, there are no defined parameters that distinguish between a thundershower and a thunderstorm. In fact, in order to avoid confusion, we in the National Weather Service do not use the term "thundershower". If a shower is strong enough to produce lightning, even just one single bolt, it's called a thunderstorm.\n\nTo Learn More about Lightning and Thunder go to \nhttp://www.srh.weather.gov/jetstream/lightning/lightning_intro.htm\n\nLIGHTNING SAFETY A MUST READ\nLightning is the MOST UNDERRATED weather hazard. On average, only floods kill more people. Lightning makes every single thunderstorm a potential killer, whether the storm produces one single bolt or ten thousand bolts.\n\nIn the United States, lightning routinely kills more people each year than tornadoes and hurricanes COMBINED. Tornadoes, hail, and wind gusts get the most attention, but only lightning can strike outside the storm itself. Lightning is the first thunderstorm hazard to arrive and the last to leave.\n\nLightning is one of the most capricious and unpredictable characteristics of a thunderstorm. Because of this, no one can guarantee an individual or group absolute protection from lightning. However, knowing and following proven lightning safety guidelines can greatly reduce the risk of injury or death. Remember, YOU are ultimately responsible for your personal safety, and should take appropriate action when threatened by lightning.\n\nWhile no place is 100% safe from lightning, some places are much safer than others.\nWhere to Go Where NOT to Go \nThe safest location during a thunderstorm is inside a large enclosed structure with plumbing and electrical wiring. These include shopping centers, schools, office buildings, and private residences.\n\nIf lightning st
582523
I love thunderstorms. I just like witnessing the awesome power of nature come rolling over the treetops. It usually also starts to cool down when one is approaching.
1162866
I love the smell and taste of the air when the thunder storm and raining real hard.\nI love the sound of the rain hitting the house and the ground\nI love to sit under the porch roof and some times close my eyes and just take in all the feelings my senses are sending me, like i said the smell, the tastes the feelings on my body the sounds you can hear and feel when the thunder comes close enough to make the ground move...and of course your heart, your heart beings to beat much harder and faster when the storm comes closer..and if you can sit with your eyes closed, you have a much greater sensation and your senses go off the chart.....you can feel your heart and then you can hear your heart in between the booms of the thunder,\nI just love it...\nand at night it is even much more of a visual sensation...\nand if your lucky enough to be sitting and hugging someone, this is even better for the two of you.....\n\ngood luck\nsmile\nhave fun\nand\nGod Bless
1053903
As soon as you see the flash of lightning, start counting, when you hear the boom of thunder, that is how many miles apart each is from each other.  Such as:  you see lightning, you count to 10 and hear the thunder.  Then the lightning and thunder are 10 miles apart.
339106
Thunderstorms mostly originate at low pressure areas. The low pressure draws in air and clounds of different electric charges which when they collide gives lightning.
435287
There is thunder, you just are too far away to hear it. Now here's one for you; if a tree falls in the forest....
32628
When you clap your hands, you compress the air between your palms.  That compression of air causes the load clap sound.  When a jet travels at extremely fast speeds, it compresses air in front of it and so causes the sonic boom.  The same goes with thunder.  When lightning strikes, the air around the lightning bolt is heated to very high temperatures and expands and pushes out at the surrounding air and this causes a compression against the surrounding air and you hear the violent thunder.
825004
Probably just the weather changing quickly ? We had a thunderstorm a few weeks ago, except it was snowing with it. Really warm before it and really cold afterwards... I'm sure it's nothing to alarm yourself over.
471457
Because light travels faster than sound, so you see the lightning and then hear the thunder.
512355
Listening to thunder storms is actually one of my favorite ways of relaxing. I always open all the doors and windows during a thunder storm so i can hear it and not get wet.
223069
Thunder is the sound made when lightning sweeps through the air, then back, and then the air collides together, making the "boom".  Lightning is a bright flash of electricity.
1102552
When you see the flash, count 1,001 - 1,002 - 1,003 ... until you hear the thunder and the nearest portion of the bolt will be one mile away for every five seconds.  Thunder rumbles because not all parts of the bolt are the same distance from you and the lightning zig zags across the sky.  The sound is caused by the sudden expansion of the air due to heat and the bolt discharges along its entire length almost instantly.  Any portion of the bolt that is on a path nearly perpendicular to your line of site (like staring at a wall straight on) will sound like a sharp crack with all the segment's sound arriving together as opposed to portions of the bolt traveling along your line of sight where the sound will arrive from the nearest point before the farthest point.  Portions of the bolt at angles between the extremes will sound different (crack or whimper) accordingly.  Of course the nearest portion of the bolt will sound louder than distant portions due to the inverse square law.  As a result, someone several miles from you will hear the same thunder but it will rumble quite differently for them.  You will have your own private show.
549998
Yes and no.  While if there's lightning there's going to be thunder, it could be occurring so far up or away that you might see it but just not be able to hear the thunder.
1065818
I believe you are refering to "Thunder" by AC/DC.
1157262
the wind cause the air particles to rub up agaisnt one another, creating friction.  the friction is the noise that you hear.