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Lightning (an electrical discharge) always travels faster than the speed of sound. Lightning moves at thousands of miles per second through the air. The energy heats the air, to many thousands of degrees in temperature, and the rapid expansion of the air creates sound waves, called thunder. These sound waves travel through the air at about 1/5 of a mile per second, so that at any distance away from a lightning strike, the flash is seen before the thunder is heard.
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Is faster than lightning a metaphor?
Yes, "faster than lightning" is a metaphor. A metaphor is a figure of speech that directly compares two unrelated things, implying that one thing is the other. In this case, it suggests that something is incredibly fast by comparing it to the speed of lightning, even though it is not literally faster than lightning.
Which of these two is faster is it lightning or thunder?
Lightning is faster than thunder. Lightning travels at the speed of light, which is approximately 299,792 kilometers per second, while thunder travels at the speed of sound, approximately 343 meters per second.
Is lightning or a shooting star faster?
Lightning is faster than a shooting star. Lightning can travel at speeds of around 220,000 miles per hour (354,055 kilometers per hour), while shooting stars typically travel at speeds of around 36,000 miles per hour (57,935 kilometers per hour).
Why do we see lightning first and then followed by thunder?
Lightning and thunder are phenomena that happen simultaneously but are observed at different times due to the difference in speed of light and sound. Light travels faster than sound, so we see the lightning flash first and then hear the thunder that follows it later.
Why is there a delay between the lightning an thunder?
The delay between seeing lightning and hearing thunder is due to the difference in speed between light and sound. Light travels much faster than sound, so we see the lightning first and then hear the thunder a few seconds later, allowing us to estimate the distance of the storm.
