What causes the noise that thunder makes and what causes there to be lightning?

MaggieG 5

Lightning is a giant spark. A single stroke of lightning can heat the air around it to 30,000 degrees Celsius (54,000 degrees Farhenheit)! This extreme heating causes the air to expand at an explosive rate. The expansion creates a shock wave that turns into a booming sound wave, better known as thunder. Thus the name thunderstorm. Sep 11 03, 4:09 PM

MaggieG 5

Forgot to give details of a useful site. http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Atmosphere/tstorm/lightning.html Sep 11 03, 4:11 PM

sequoianoir

Have you got or ever used a gas cooker with electric (piezo) ignition ? Press the button and it makes a ticking sound? Well that is "micro thunder" Little spark underneath the gas burner? Well that is "micro lightning" You must have had a shock from static electricity at least once in your life. Well this is what causes lightning. Builds up in the clouds in certain conditions and at some point has to discharge with a very big spark and a very big "tick". Many years ago the Science Museum in London used to do a demonstration of a Million Volt spark. Charge many big capacitors in parallel, switch them into a series configuration and discharge them. This spark was about 3 feet in length and no matter how much warning you got, no matter how many times you saw/heard it (even with a countdown - 3,2,1,BANG!) it was IMMPOSIBLE NOT to leap several inches in the air !!!!! AWESOME !!!! Sadly the exhibit has been "retired" Sep 11 03, 7:38 PM

_princess_007

Thunder is sound, the sound of a shockwave, created by lightning. Lightning creates thunder, by rapidly heating the surrounding air. The heated air expands explosively and compresses the air immediately around the heated area. In the compressed region, the air pressure is higher and when the "pressure jump" reaches your ear it is sensed as (that is, you hear the sound of) thunder. http://www.shorstmeyer.com/wxfaqs/thunder/thunder.html Nov 21 06, 4:10 PM

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