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Thunder and lightning both occur at the same instant. If you are observing them from a distance, then you perceive the lightning first, because the light travels to you much faster than the sound does.
Lightning. Its ionization of air is what makes the boom.

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Wiki User

7y ago
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AnswerBot

4mo ago

No, lightning and thunder occur simultaneously. Lightning is the visible discharge of electricity that occurs during a thunderstorm, while thunder is the sound produced by the rapid expansion and contraction of air surrounding a lightning bolt. The speed of light is faster than the speed of sound, so we see the lightning before we hear the thunder.

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Wiki User

16y ago

A thunderstorm must have at least begun in order to produce lightning , so the storm comes first. The lightningis an electrical charge produced by the movement of charged or "ionized" particles between ground and upper air layers and clouds. During a thunderstorm, when the electrical charge becomes great enough, it breaks through the air between clouds and ground, and flashes the stored energy as a lightning strike, dissipating some of the electrical charge. In nature, a tornado can produce many lightning strikes, however, tornados always seem to be a product of some sort of thunderstorm activity. Additionally, large volcanic explosions have been known to produce lightning There are other ways to produce lightning, such as a nuclear explosion, which can produce numerious lightningstrikes. A heliocopter produces similar charges when docking to a boat, causing miniature lightning strikes to the boat, due to the charge built up by the rotor blades moving through the air.

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Wiki User

13y ago

Probably rain.

Thunder and lightning both occur at the same instant. If you are observing them

from a distance, then you perceive the lightning first, because the light travels to

you much faster than the sound does. If you are not observing them from a

distance, then frankly, you won't care.

MORE SPECIFICALLY

Lightning and thunder are both the same thing. Lighting is the thing we see of the static electricity of the hot and warm air meeting near the clouds. It is unknown which came first, since in the primordial earth there were chances of lightning or rain, but lightning is more frequent with water.

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William C

Lvl 5
3y ago

Lightning because speed of light = Miles per second: 186000

Miles per hour: 671000000

Metres per second: 299792458

Kilometres per hour: 1080000000

speed of sound = 343 m / s

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Wiki User

13y ago

Thunder and lightning both occur simultaneously. You will see the lighting before you hear the thunder if you are far away from it because light travels faster than sound.

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Wiki User

7y ago

lightning because light travels faster than sound

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Wiki User

13y ago

Lightning does come before thunder because thunder is the sound lightning make but light is faster than sound so you see it brefore you hear it.

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Wiki User

7y ago

Lightning is first - thunder is caused by the lightning's strike.

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Wiki User

11y ago

lightning

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Q: Does lightning always come before thunder?
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Continue Learning about Earth Science

What are the similarities of thunder and lightning?

No, the two are quite different. The main difference is lightning is light, thunder is sound. Lightning is an electric charge that can come from a cloud for various reasons. Thunder is the sound made by lightning. Since sound travels slower than light, lightning comes first, thunder second.


Why does thunder comes after lightning?

Thunder comes after lightning because lightning is caused by a rapid heating and expansion of the air around it. This sudden expansion creates a shock wave, which we hear as thunder. Since light travels faster than sound, we see the lightning first before hearing the thunder.


Why does lightning come first?

Lightning comes first before thunder because light travels faster than sound. When lightning strikes, the energy causes the air around it to rapidly expand, creating a shockwave that we hear as thunder. The delay between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder depends on how far away the lightning is.


Does thunder come from the ground?

No, thunder does not come from the ground. Thunder is caused by the rapid expansion of air surrounding a lightning bolt, creating a shockwave that we hear as thunder.


Is it true that if there is lightning and thunder mushrooms come out?

No, mushrooms do not come out because of lightning and thunder. Mushrooms grow due to specific environmental conditions such as moisture, temperature, and substrate availability. Lightning and thunder do not directly cause the growth of mushrooms.

Related questions

When did lightning crashes come out?

before thunder


Why don't the thunder and lightning come together?

Thunder and lighting do occur together during a thunderstorm. Lightning is a sudden discharge of electricity in the atmosphere, which creates the bright light that we see, while thunder is the sound created by the rapid expansion of air around the lightning bolt. Light travels faster than sound, so we see the lightning before we hear the thunder.


Is thunder heard before the flash of lightning?

not if you are standing far enough away and not at all the sound of the lightning is thunder but if you were standing directly underneath it the sound would come at the exact moment of the light


How come you see lighting and do not hear it and how come you hear thunder and do not see it?

You see lightning before you hear it because light moves faster than sound. Thunder comes from the lightning. You can't hear it until the sound waves reach you.


Can lightning come without thunder?

No, thunder is directly related to lightning. Thunder is the sound caused by the rapid expansion of air heated by the lightning bolt. Lightning and thunder always occur together, but because light travels faster than sound, we often see the lightning before hearing the thunder.


Why is lighting before thunder?

The reason is because the speed of sound is slower than the speed of light. Thats why when lightning looks like a pure lightning strike that is not far away from your shelter, the thunder happens almost at the same time. If lightning was just a flash in the sky, the thunder takes longer to come up.


What does Selena Gomez mean when she says you are the thunder and im the lightning in her new song Naturally?

Them lyrics are from the song Naturally, and they mean: Thunder and Lightning nearly always come together and when you think thunder you think lightning. Selena mean's in Naturally that she's found that special person who belongs with her, like thunder belongs with lightning. It's hard to describe. Lightning comes with thunder so Selena means they are never one with out the other. She's found the thunder to her lightning = she founds the person that belongs with her. III THIINK.


What does you are the thunder and i am the lightning mean?

it is usually referring to 2 people that are in love and they come one after another always right behind each other.


What are the similarities of thunder and lightning?

No, the two are quite different. The main difference is lightning is light, thunder is sound. Lightning is an electric charge that can come from a cloud for various reasons. Thunder is the sound made by lightning. Since sound travels slower than light, lightning comes first, thunder second.


Why does thunder comes after lightning?

Thunder comes after lightning because lightning is caused by a rapid heating and expansion of the air around it. This sudden expansion creates a shock wave, which we hear as thunder. Since light travels faster than sound, we see the lightning first before hearing the thunder.


Where did the idea of Ben Franklin's lightning bolt come from?

thunder clouds


Why does lightning come first?

Lightning comes first before thunder because light travels faster than sound. When lightning strikes, the energy causes the air around it to rapidly expand, creating a shockwave that we hear as thunder. The delay between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder depends on how far away the lightning is.