Lighting and Thunder

**Mrs.K034** · 08-12-2014, 09:49 PM

Ok, so I grew up being told that for every second after a lighting strike, before you hear the thunder, that was how many miles away the lighting was.. How many of you grew up on that? Now I learn every 5 seconds is only one mile? Lol.. I really only thought to look it up for the first time today!

and found out that even if you can see the lighting, it's still could only be 7 miles away without thunder making a sound where you stand.

**HB Vic** · 08-12-2014, 10:09 PM

I like when you see it hear it and the crackle at the same time. That shit isn't a mile away, it's a few hundred feet lol

**The Doctor** · 08-12-2014, 10:12 PM

Good info!
Light travels at 186,000 Miles per second so any lightning we see in our area will be visualized almost instantly with no measurable time loss
but
Sound travels at 767 Miles per hour or approx 5 seconds per mile as stated.
There are variables such as air density, humidity, etc. but generally, we just count seconds when we see the strike and everything beyond a couple seconds is far away to be safe - for now. Don't go outside and brush the pool with your twenty foot long aluminum pole however.