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How to Calculate the Relationship Between Lightning & Thunder Sounds

Thunder and lightning are closely intertwined and, if a thunderstorm seems eminent, there is a way to measure the approximate distance of the storm. Since light travels at a faster speed than sound, the brilliant flash of lightning is seen before the growling noise of thunder is heard. Sound typically takes five seconds to travel a mile, and this fact makes it simple to determine the approximate number of miles away the storm is.

Instructions

- 1
  Position yourself in a safe area. Choose a location where you can easily see and hear the lightning and thunder.
- 2
  Look for a flash of lightning. Using a stopwatch or the second hand on a wrist watch, measure the number of seconds that elapse from the moment you see the lightning until the moment you hear the thunder.
- 3
  Divide the number of seconds you counted between the lightning and thunder by 5. For example, if you counted 10 seconds in between, the storm is approximately 2 miles away. This works because sound can travel roughly 1 mile in 5 seconds.

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