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The Sound of Thunder
From the clouds to a nearby tree or roof, a lightning bolt takes less than a second to split through the air. The loud thunder that follows the lightning bolt is often said to come from the bolt itself. However, the grumbles and growls we hear in thunderstorms actually come from the rapid spread of the air surrounding the lightning bolt.
As lightning connects to the ground from the clouds, a second stroke of lightning will return from the ground to the clouds. This follows the same path as the first strike. The heat from the electricity of this return stroke raises the temperature of the surrounding air. Since the lightning takes so little time to go from point A to point B, the heated air has no time to expand. The heated air is compacted, raising the air from 10 to 100 times the normal atmospheric pressure. The compacted air explodes outward from the path, forming a shock wave of compacted tiny atoms in every direction. Because of the explosion, the rapidly expanding waves of compacted air create a loud, booming burst of noise.
Because electricity follows the shortest route, most lightning bolts are close to vertical. The shock waves nearer to the ground reach your ear first, followed by the crashing of higher shock waves. Vertical lightning is often heard in one long rumble. But if a lightning bolt is forked, the sounds change. The shock waves from the different forks of lightning bounce off each other, the low hanging clouds, and nearby hills to create a series of lower grumbles of thunder.
Thunder Fun Facts:
To judge how close lightning is, count the seconds between the flash and the thunderclap. Each second represents about 300m (984.25ft).
Thunder is not only heard during thunderstorms. It can occasionally be heard when it is snowing.
Lightning does not always create thunder. In April 1885, five lightning bolts struck the Washington Monument during a thunderstorm, but no thunder was heard.
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What is a question the reader may ask after reading this passage?
A.
Does lightning always create thunder?
B.
How is a lightning bolt created?
C.
How long does it take lightning to act?
D.
How is the sound of thunder created?
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