Final answer:
To calculate the distance to the location of the storm, you can use the fact that light travels much faster than sound. First, calculate the distance covered by the lightning flash using the speed of light. Then, calculate the distance to the storm by dividing the time it took for the thunder to reach the student by the speed of sound.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the distance to the location of the storm, you can use the fact that light travels much faster than sound. Assuming the speed of light is 3 x 10^8 m/s and the student heard the thunder 7 seconds after seeing the lightning, you can use the formula: speed = distance/time.
First, calculate the distance covered by the lightning flash using the speed of light. distance = speed x time = (3 x 10^8 m/s) x (7 s) = 2.1 x 10^9 m.
Since the speed of sound is approximately 343 m/s, you can now calculate the distance to the storm by dividing the time it took for the thunder to reach the student by the speed of sound: distance = speed x time = (343 m/s) x (7 s) = 2401 m. Therefore, the storm is approximately 2401 meters away from the student.