You can estimate your distance from a lightning storm by watching for a lightning flash and then counting in one-second intervals using the general rule that you are 1 km away for every 3 s you count.
Explain why this rule works.
Estimate the distance from a lightning storm if it takes 8 s (exactly) for the sound of the thunder to reach you after you see a flash of lightning. Assume that the temperature is 21 degrees Celsius. (The speed of light is approx. 2.99 x 10^8 m/s.)
The rule that you are 1 km away for every 3 s you count works because light travels much faster than sound. When lightning occurs, it creates a bright flash of light that we see almost instantly. However, sound travels slower than light, so it takes some time for the thunder to reach our ears.
By counting the number of seconds it takes for the sound of thunder to reach us after we see the flash, we can estimate the distance of the lightning storm because we know that sound travels at a constant speed in air. The speed of sound in air is approximately 343 meters per second at 21 degrees Celsius.
Now, let's estimate the distance from a lightning storm if it takes exactly 8 seconds for the sound of thunder to reach us after we see a flash of lightning.
Since we know that sound travels at approximately 343 meters per second, we can calculate the distance by multiplying the speed of sound by the time it takes for the sound to reach us.
Distance = Speed of sound x Time
Distance = 343 m/s x 8 s
Distance = 2744 meters
Therefore, the estimated distance from the lightning storm is 2744 meters or 2.744 kilometers.
The rule that you are 1 km away for every 3 seconds you count after seeing a lightning flash is based on the knowledge of the speed of sound. When a lightning flash occurs, you see the light immediately because light travels at a very fast speed, approximately 299,792,458 meters per second in a vacuum. However, sound travels much more slowly through the air, with its speed depending on various factors, including temperature.
In general, the speed of sound at a temperature of 21 degrees Celsius is approximately 343 meters per second. This means that for every second that elapses, sound travels approximately 343 meters.
Now, let's explain why the rule works. When you see a flash of lightning, you start counting in one-second intervals until you hear the sound of thunder. The time it takes for the sound to reach you is the time it takes for sound to travel the distance between you and the lightning strike.
So, if you count 3 seconds, it means that sound has traveled approximately 3 x 343 meters, which is approximately 1029 meters or 1.029 kilometers. Thus, following this rule, you estimate your distance from the lightning storm to be 1 kilometer.
Now, let's use this rule to estimate the distance from a lightning storm if it takes exactly 8 seconds for the sound of thunder to reach you after seeing a flash of lightning.
Given that sound travels at approximately 343 meters per second, and it took 8 seconds for the sound to reach you, the distance between you and the lightning strike can be calculated as:
Distance = Speed of sound x Time
Distance = 343 meters/second x 8 seconds
Distance = 2744 meters or 2.744 kilometers
Therefore, based on the given time of 8 seconds, you estimate that you are approximately 2.744 kilometers away from the lightning storm.