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.
Related Posts
-
Who Parachuted Into a Thunder Storm and Survived?
Believe it or not, Colonel William Rankin did exactly that. As far as anyone knows, he is the only man who has ever bailed out of a plane directly into a thunderstorm and…
-
What causes thunder and lightning?
Angry gods, of course. Haven't you ever watched cartoons? Okay, it's electricity, and it's not that far removed from what happens when you rub a large, furry cat. Start with those tall, puffy…
-
Where Did The Phrase “Stole My Thunder” Come From and What Does it Mean?
In the early 1700s, English playwright John Dennis introduced a metallic device that imitated the sound of thunder. The production it was created for failed, and the thunder device was forgotten until months…
-
Why Are Oak and Fir Trees More Likely To Be Struck By Lightning Than Beech and Pine In a Thunder Storm?
Almost a century ago, a monthly journal, Country Queries and Notes, was first published. In it, it was asked if oak and fir trees were far more likely to be struck by lightning…
-
Why Does Thunder Sound Like a Sharp Crack, and Sometimes Like a Low Rumble?
It depends on how far you are from the lightning. The closer you are, the higher the pitch of the sound you hear; the farther away you are, the lower the rumble. First,…
