Search results
Dec 30, 2002 · Thunder is caused by lightning, which is essentially a stream of electrons flowing between or within clouds, or between a cloud and the ground. The air surrounding the electron stream is heated...
- www.weather.gov
- › Safety
Thunder is created when lightning passes through the air. The lightning discharge heats the air rapidly and causes it to expand. The temperature of the air in the lightning channel may reach as high as 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun.
May 16, 2023 · The short answer is that an unequal distribution of electrical charges cause a static discharge, which we call lightning, while thunder is the sound that results from the rapid expansion and contraction of air around a lightning strike.
Cause. The cause of thunder has been the subject of centuries of speculation and scientific inquiry. Early thinking was that it was made by deities, but the ancient Greek philosophers attributed it to natural causes, such as wind striking clouds (Anaximander, Aristotle) and movement of air within clouds .
6 days ago · What causes thunder? In a fraction of a second, lightning heats the air around it to incredible temperatures—as hot as 54,000 °F (30,000 °C). That's five times hotter than the surface of the Sun!
What causes thunder and lightning? Thunderstorms develop when the atmosphere is unstable. This is when warm air exists underneath much colder air. What causes lightning? As warm air rises it...
What causes thunder? Lightning causes thunder! Energy from a lightning channel heats the air briefly to around 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, much hotter than the surface of the sun. This causes the air to explode outward.
Lightning is a discharge of electricity. A single stroke of lightning can heat the air around it to 30,000°C (54,000°F)! This extreme heating causes the air to expand explosively fast. The expansion creates a shock wave that turns into a booming sound wave, known as thunder.
Thunder, sound caused by a lightning discharge. Lightning heats the air in its path and causes a large over-pressure of the air within its channel. The channel expands supersonically into the surrounding air as a shock wave and creates an acoustic signal that is heard as thunder.
Thunderstorms are caused by small electrically-charged particles. It's quite simple really. Water in clouds moves upwards. As it does so, it cools and freezes. As these ice particles fall back down they make contact with water droplets lower down in the cloud and this results in a charge separation.
