What Causes ‘Thunder’ and How Far Can It Be Heard?

Thunder is the sound of lightning. When lightning strikes, it heats up the air around it really fast, making the air pop like a balloon. That pop makes a loud boom we call thunder. Sometimes you can hear it far away because the sound travels through the air like ripples in water. The farther you are, the softer it sounds.

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Examples

  1. Thunder sounds like a giant balloon popping when lightning hits.
  2. You can hear thunder even if you're in your bedroom during a storm.
  3. Sometimes, you hear multiple booms because there are several lightning strikes.

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Categories: Science · sound· weather· lightning· acoustics