The time between a lightning flash and the following thunderclap may be used to estimate, in kilometers, how far away a storm is. How far away is a storm is 6 seconds elapse between the lightning and the thunderclap?
The speed of sound is roughly 343 meters per second (or 1,125 feet per second) at sea level and room temperature. We can use this information to estimate the distance to a storm based on the elapsed time between a lightning flash and the following thunderclap.
If 6 seconds elapse between the lightning and the thunderclap, we can estimate that the storm is approximately 2,058 meters (or 6,752 feet) away.
The calculation for this is as follows:
Distance = Speed of Sound x Time
Distance = 343 meters/second x 6 seconds
Distance = 2,058 meters
To estimate the distance in kilometers, you can use the relationship that sound travels at a speed of approximately 343 meters per second (or 0.343 kilometers per second) in dry air at room temperature.
Since you have the time between the lightning flash and the following thunderclap (6 seconds), you can multiply it by the speed of sound to determine the distance traveled by the sound wave.
Distance = Speed × Time
Distance = 0.343 km/s × 6s
Distance = 2.058 kilometers
Therefore, the storm is approximately 2.058 kilometers away.
The time between a lightning flash and the following thunderclap can be used to estimate the distance of a storm using the rule that sound travels approximately 343 meters (or 0.343 kilometers) per second in dry air. To calculate the distance, we can use the formula:
Distance (in kilometers) = Speed of Sound (in kilometers per second) × Time (in seconds)
Given that 6 seconds elapse between the lightning flash and the thunderclap, we can calculate the distance:
Distance = 0.343 km/s × 6 s = 2.058 kilometers
Therefore, the storm is approximately 2.058 kilometers away.