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Each second that passes is equal to a distance of one mile. If 10 seconds pass between the lightning and thunder how far off was the lightning?
Wiki User
∙ 15y ago
If the formula was correct for calculating the distance of a flash of lightning by counting the seconds from the flash to hearing the sound of the thunder, the distance would be ten miles (one second = one mile).
However, the actual formula is: seconds divided by five equals distance of the lightning in miles. So a ten second delay means the lightning was about two miles away.
This is because the light reaches you almost instantaneously (at the speed of light in air actually!), but sound travels at 343.14 meters per second (1,125.79 ft/s). This is 1,235.30 kilometers per hour (767.58 mph), which is about one mile in five seconds.
For more information, See Related links below this box
Wiki User
∙ 15y ago
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The thunder is heard five seconds after the lightning so the storm is at a distance of........... from you?
roughly a mile
How many seconds do you need to find the miles to the lightning?
-- Count seconds between the flash of lightning and the thunder -- Divide by 5. -- The result is the number of miles between you and the lightning
There is a delay of 5 seconds between the time you see a flash of lightning and hear the thunder?
the lightning is roughly a mile away
You hear thunder 13.9 seconds after a lightning flash how far are you from lightning?
then the lightning is 2.78 miles away from you.
Why is there a delay between the lightning an thunder?
There is a delay between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder because the speed of light (lightning) is much faster than the speed of sound (thunder). Thus, you SEE lightning first, and then you HEAR thunder later.
What is the distance between you and a storm if you heard thunder 7 seconds after you saw lightning?
very roughly 7000 feet
How can you count the distance of a storm cell by the thunder?
Count the seconds between when the lightning flashes and the sound of the thunder. Divide the number of seconds that pass by five to get the distance in miles or by eight to get the number of kilometers. Note that this only gives you the distance to the bolt of lightning. The storm cell itself is probably at least a few miles across.
How many seconds behind is the thunder before the lightning?
Light is virtually instantaneous over any distance you'd be aware of a thunderstorm going on. Sound, however, takes five seconds to travel through air for each mile. If the thunder and the lightning are simultaneous, the lightning strike is very close to you. If the thunder is five seconds after the lightning, the lightning was one mile away. If the thunder is ten seconds after the lightning, the lightning was 2 miles away, and so on.
The thunder is heard five seconds after the lightning so the storm is at a distance of........... from you?
roughly a mile
How many seconds do you need to find the miles to the lightning?
-- Count seconds between the flash of lightning and the thunder -- Divide by 5. -- The result is the number of miles between you and the lightning
What is the actual method for finding the distance you are from the storm using lightning and thunder?
For a long time it was thought by many people that the number of seconds after the lightning strikes is the miles the center of the storm is from you. Although this does show how light travels faster than sound, this system is wrong. The actual method for finding the distance the heart of the storm is from you is by counting after you see lightning; and stop counting after you hear the thunder. Now, for every five seconds after the lightning struck until you hear the thunder, it is one mile away. So if ten seconds go by between lightning and thunder, the center of the storm is two miles away.
How would you calculate the speed at which a thunderstrom cell is moving?
Count the time in seconds between a lightning flash and the thunder clap. Five seconds delay equals 1 mile in distance.
How do you estimate how far lightning is away from you?
To estimate your distance from a thunderstorm count the number of seconds between a flash of lightning and the next clap of thunder. Divide your answer by 5. See the related link below.
How is thunder produced and how far away does the lightning strikes if the thunder is heard 15 seconds after the lightning is seen?
Thunder - is the result of a lightning flash. The flash causes the surrounding air to move away from the source at 300 metres/second. An approximate calculation for the relationship between the lightning flash to hearing the thunder, is 5 seconds per mile.
How do you figure the distance of storms from you?
If it is a thunderstorm, you check how long it takes to hear the thunder after you see a lightning strike. For every five seconds, the lightning strike is about one mile away. The lightning causes the thunder, and the sound travels at a speed of about one mile per five seconds.
There is a delay of 5 seconds between the time you see a flash of lightning and hear the thunder?
the lightning is roughly a mile away
How do you tell how far away a storm is?
To tell how far away a storm is note the seconds between the appearance of lightning and the sound of thunder. Every second between lightning and thunder represents one mile.
