when i see lightning and count, one one thousand, i thought the storm was that many miles away.?

i read a book where each one thousand was only a fifth of a mile. eeks. the storm is closer than i thought. what is the right formula?

Eric2012-03-14T06:26:26Z

Favorite Answer

Because sound travels slower than the speed of light, we see lightning before hearing the crack of thunder. The speed at which sound travels is roughly 1 mile every 5 seconds. Therefore, if 15 seconds pass between the flash of lighting and crack of thunder, you can assume that lightning strike occured 3 miles away.

What is even more interesting to know is that successive lightning strikes usually occur 2-3 miles apart. If you feel safe having 15 seconds pass between the lightning and sound of thunder, think again. The next one could be right near you.

30

Anonymous2012-03-14T13:23:57Z

Light is faster than sound. So count the seconds from lightning and divide by 5.
For example 10 seconds time means the storm is 2 miles away.

21

Anonymous2012-03-14T13:20:08Z

You should be counting 5 seconds for a mile

11

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