If we have just counted 15 seconds between the lightning and thunder, how far away do we predict the center of the thunderstorm to be using the 3 second rule and What was the percent difference between the prediction and the real distance of the thunderstorm? The speed of light is 3x108 m/s, and the speed of sound is 343 m/s.

15/3 = 5 ... storm distance in km

15s * 343m/s = theoretical distance

the time for the light to travel is below the sig fig of the other measurements ... it can be considered instantaneous

To determine the distance between the lightning and the center of the thunderstorm, we can use the speed of sound. The "3 second rule" is commonly used to estimate this distance. According to this rule, for every 3 seconds between the lightning flash and the thunder, the thunderstorm is approximately 1 kilometer (1000 meters) away.

In this case, we have counted 15 seconds between the lightning and the thunder. To calculate the estimated distance using the 3 second rule, we divide 15 seconds by 3 seconds per kilometer:
Estimated distance = 15 seconds / 3 seconds per kilometer = 5 kilometers

To calculate the actual distance, we need to consider the time it takes for the sound to travel. Since the speed of sound is approximately 343 m/s, we can calculate the real distance by multiplying the speed of sound by the time it took for the thunder to be heard:
Real distance = Speed of sound * Time = 343 m/s * 15 seconds = 5145 meters = 5.145 kilometers

The percent difference between the prediction and the actual distance can be calculated using the formula:
Percent difference = ((Actual distance - Estimated distance) / Actual distance) * 100

Substituting the values:
Percent difference = ((5.145 km - 5 km) / 5.145 km) * 100 ≈ 2.82%

Therefore, the estimated distance using the 3 second rule is 5 kilometers, and the percent difference between the prediction and the real distance is approximately 2.82%.