Answer:
A clap of thunder and a lightning bolt occur from the same collision of molecules, but we hear the thunder after we see the lightning bolt because of the slower speed of sound.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thunder and lightning happen from the same collision of molecules, but we hear thunder after seeing the lightning because of the slower speed of sound.
What happens is that light travels at a much greater speed than sound. While light travels at a speed of 299,792,458 meters per second (almost 300,000 km / s) in a vacuum, sound travels through the air at a speed of approximately 340 m / s.
In water, the speed of sound is higher (1,400 m / s), but remains much lower than the speed of light. Thus, the lightning of lightning is seen by our eyes before the sound of thunder reaches our ears.