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You are here: Home / Universe / What Is Thunder?

What Is Thunder?

April 22, 2020 by Karen Hill

When electricity is given off through lightning, it heats the air in its path. This heating makes the air expand quickly and often violently.

The molecules of heated air fly around in all directions and collide with cooler, distant air. This collision sets up a “wave” of noisy, rumbling air called thunder.

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  • Who Parachuted Into a Thunder Storm and Survived?
  • What causes thunder and lightning?
  • Where Did The Phrase "Stole My Thunder" Come From and What Does it Mean?
  • Why Are Oak and Fir Trees More Likely To Be Struck By Lightning Than Beech and Pine In a Thunder Storm?
  • Why Does Thunder Sound Like a Sharp Crack, and Sometimes Like a Low Rumble?

Filed Under: Universe

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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