Have you ever noticed that during a storm, you see a flash of lightning before you hear the rumble of thunder? It’s a pretty cool thing that happens, and there’s a simple reason for it!
When a storm is brewing, you might hear someone say, “Stay inside, a big storm is coming!” If you look outside, you might see a bright flash of lightning. Not long after, you’ll hear the loud sound of thunder. But why do we see the lightning first?
Lightning and thunder actually happen at the same time. But here’s the trick: light travels super fast! Light zooms through the sky at about 300 million meters per second. That’s like a super-fast superhero!
Sound, on the other hand, takes its time. It travels at about 340 meters per second. That’s much slower compared to light. So, even though lightning and thunder happen together, the light reaches your eyes way before the sound reaches your ears.
Because light is so much faster, you see the lightning first. Then, a little later, you hear the thunder. It’s like watching a fireworks show where you see the bright colors before you hear the booms!
Here’s a fun thing you can try: when you see lightning, count the seconds until you hear the thunder. For every second you count, the storm is about 340 meters away. So, if you count to three, the storm is roughly 1,020 meters away!
Now you know why lightning comes before thunder. Next time there’s a storm, you can impress your friends with your knowledge about light and sound!
Lightning and Thunder Experiment: Try this fun experiment with a friend or family member. One person can be the “lightning” and the other the “thunder.” Stand at opposite ends of a room or a safe outdoor space. The “lightning” person claps their hands, and the “thunder” person waits a moment before stomping their feet. Notice how the clap (lightning) is seen first, and the stomp (thunder) is heard later. Discuss why this happens and how it relates to real storms.
Sound and Light Race: Create a simple race to demonstrate the speed of light and sound. Use a flashlight and a drum or any object that makes a sound. Have a friend stand a few meters away. Flash the light and hit the drum at the same time. Ask your friend which one they noticed first. Talk about why the light reached them before the sound, just like lightning and thunder.
Count the Distance: Next time there’s a storm, try counting the seconds between seeing lightning and hearing thunder. Write down your counts and calculate how far away the storm is using the fun fact from the article. Discuss how this helps people stay safe during storms by knowing how close they are.
**Topic: Light and Sound**
Why do we see lightning before we hear thunder?
Don’t go out tonight; a huge storm is coming. Look at the weather outside—there’s a significant lightning strike. Very soon, you will hear some thunder.
Don’t be alarmed; it’s just thunder.
Do you know why we see the lightning before we hear the thunder? Let me explain.
An interesting fact is that lightning and thunder occur at the same time. So, why do we see the lightning first? This is because light travels faster than sound. The speed of light is approximately 300 million meters per second, while the speed of sound is only about 340 meters per second.
As a result, the light from the lightning reaches our eyes much faster than the sound of thunder reaches our ears. Thus, we first see the lightning, shortly followed by the sound of thunder.
