Question

While on a hike, a pair of friends get caught in a thunderstorm. Four seconds after seeing the flash of a distant lightning strike, they hear the thunder. How far away was this lightning strike in miles? Note: sound, in air, travels at 340 m/s.

Answer 1

1360 m

Step-by-step explanation:

Time taken for the thunder to travel the distance to the hikers = 4 seconds

Speed of the thunder = 340 m/s

Speed of light = 3×10⁸ m/s

It can be seen that the speed of light is substantially faster than the speed of sound. This is the reason why there is a delay in seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder.

Distance = Speed × Time

`\text{Distance}=340* 4\\\Rightarrow \text{Distance}=1360\ m`

Hence, the lightning strike was 1360 m away from the hikers