What Causes the Sound of Thunder?

When lightning hits, it makes a really loud boom called thunder. Think of it like when you drop a heavy rock into a pond, the water ripples and makes a big splash. Lightning does something similar in the air, making sound waves that travel to us as thunder.

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Examples

  1. Thunder sounds like a giant cat meowing when it's close to you.
  2. It’s like when you shout across a big room, the sound takes time to reach the other person.
  3. You can sometimes hear two booms from one lightning strike if the air is just right.

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