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You see lightning as soon as it happens, but thunder is usually delayed by a number of seconds (or at least long enough for you to count it).

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14y ago
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5mo ago

During a thunderstorm, you see lightning before you hear thunder because light travels much faster than sound. The speed of light is about 186,282 miles per second, whereas the speed of sound is only about 1,125 feet per second. This difference in speed is why the light from the lightning reaches you before the sound of the thunder.

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Q: Why does a thunderstorm show that light travels faster than sound?
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During a thunderstorm you see the lightning followed by the sound of the thunder What causes the delay between the light and the sound?

The delay between the lightning and the sound of thunder is due to the difference in speed between light and sound. Light travels much faster than sound, so we see the lightning first before hearing the thunder. By counting the seconds between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder, you can estimate how far away the lightning struck.


Why you see a distant event before you hear it?

Light travels much faster than sound - about a million times faster. When an event happens at a distance, light reaches your eyes almost instantly, allowing you to see it first. Sound, on the other hand, travels much slower, taking some time to reach your ears, which is why you hear the event after seeing it.


Is light faster than sound or sound is faster than light?

Light is faster than sound. Light travels through empty space at a speed of about 186,282 miles per second (299,792 kilometers per second), whereas sound travels through air at about 1,125 feet per second (343 meters per second).


Why do you see fireworks before hearing them?

We see the firework works first because the because burning emits light . It is a fact that it travels faster than sound . So the sound energy produced during the burning of fire work reaches us late . So we hear the sound after vizualizing it.


Which was faster voice or light?

Light is faster than sound. Light travels at a speed of approximately 186,282 miles per second in a vacuum, whereas sound travels at a speed of about 1,125 feet per second in air.

Related questions

What travels faster the sound?

light


Which travels faster noise or lightning?

lightning travels faster. Light is faster than sound.


Which travels fastest sound water air light?

Light travels faster.


What travels lighter light or sound?

Light appears lighter, and also travels faster, than sound.


Can light travel as fast as sound?

no from what i have learned light travels faster then sound


How can YOU tell from the thunderstorm that sound waves and light waves travel at different speeds?

You can tell that sound waves and light waves travel at different speeds during a thunderstorm by observing the delay between seeing lightning and hearing thunder. Light travels much faster than sound, so the lightning is seen almost instantly while the thunder takes longer to reach you. This delay in the arrival of sound waves compared to light waves demonstrates their different speeds of travel.


What travels faster light or sound?

Light travels at approximately 3x108m/s whilst sound travels only at 343m/s. So which do you think is the faster one?


How does light travel witch is faster light or sound?

Light is much faster then the speed of sound. Sound travels at a speed of about 768 Miles per hour, when light travels at a speed of 186,282 miles per SECOND.


What travels faster than a rocket?

Sound, Light....


Which travels fastest sound air light or water?

Light travels the fastest among sound, air, light, and water. In dry air, sound travels around 343 meters per second, while light travels at approximately 299,792 kilometers per second, which is much faster. Water and air have slower speeds of sound compared to light.


Does light waves or sound waves travle faster?

Light travels much, much faster than sound. Light travels at 299792458 m/s while sound only goes 340.29 m/s.


During a thunderstorm you see the lightning followed by the sound of the thunder What causes the delay between the light and the sound?

The delay between the lightning and the sound of thunder is due to the difference in speed between light and sound. Light travels much faster than sound, so we see the lightning first before hearing the thunder. By counting the seconds between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder, you can estimate how far away the lightning struck.