How does thunder make sound

Often lightning occurs between clouds or inside a cloud. But the lightning we usually care about most is the lightning that goes from clouds to ground—because that's us! As the storm moves over the ground, the strong negative charge in the cloud attracts positive charges in the ground. These positive charges move up into the tallest objects like trees, telephone poles, and houses.

A "stepped leader" of negative charge descends from the cloud seeking out a path toward the ground. Although this phase of a lightning strike is too rapid for human eyes, this slow-motion video shows it happening. As the negative charge gets close to the ground, a positive charge, called a streamer, reaches up to meet the negative charge. The channels connect and we see the lightning stroke. We may see several strokes using the same path, giving the lightning bolt a flickering appearance, before the electrical discharge is complete.

That's five times hotter than the surface of the Sun! The heated air expands explosively, creating a shockwave as the surrounding air is rapidly compressed. The air then contracts rapidly as it cools. If we are watching the sky, we see the lightning before we hear the thunder.

That is because light travels much faster than sound waves. Sometimes, if you have socks on and you rub your feet on a carpet, then it makes a tiny shock when you touch somebody else.

That is also static electricity. The static electricity in the cloud makes the ice crystals positively charged and the water droplets negatively charged. If you have ever played with magnets, you will know that the positive side of a magnet is attracted to the negative side of another magnet — but it pushes away the positive side of another magnet.

Opposites attract each other: those with the same charge that is, positive or negative push each other away. The same thing happens with the negatively charged water droplets near the bottom of the thunder cloud. All the negative bits that collect near the bottom of the cloud are called electrons. Positive bits known as particles start to collect under the thunder cloud because they are attracted by the electrons near the bottom of the cloud.

The attraction of positive and negative bits is strong, so the electrons in the cloud start to make jagged fingers reaching down to the earth. As soon as the negative bits from the cloud connect with the positive bits from the earth, a huge current made of all those electrons flows to the earth — and that is the lightning flash you see. The lightning flash heats the air around it so quickly that the air expands very fast. When similar waves are superimposed, their vibrations oppose or support each other, which results in a haphazard mixture of cancelled and reinforced sounds.

Therefore, when lightning is a few miles away, we hear throbbing variations of sound — the rumble of thunder. Interesting article and very clearly written. Join us for a much anticipated return to the Lone Star State! Earlybird ticket discounts are now available online. You'll find tips for slashing heating bills, growing fresh, natural produce at home, and more. That's why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our earth-friendly automatic renewal savings plan.

The Science Behind the Sound of Thunder The meteorological science behind the sound of thunder is complex, but the basics are easy to understand. What causes the rumbles after a lightning strike? Here's the phenomenon of thunder, explained. Continue Reading. Share your thoughts. Related Content.

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