Editing 2027: Lightning Distance
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The usual trick for determining the distance to a {{w|lightning}} flash is to count the seconds from when you see the flash until when you hear {{w|thunder}}, and divide by five to get miles (or three to get kilometers). This works because the {{w|speed of light|transmission of light}} is essentially instantaneous over the relevant distances, while the {{w|speed of sound}} is 331.2 m/s (1,087 ft/s, 1,192 km/h, or 741 mph, varying a bit based on temperature), or about 1/5 mile per second (1/3 kilometer per second). | The usual trick for determining the distance to a {{w|lightning}} flash is to count the seconds from when you see the flash until when you hear {{w|thunder}}, and divide by five to get miles (or three to get kilometers). This works because the {{w|speed of light|transmission of light}} is essentially instantaneous over the relevant distances, while the {{w|speed of sound}} is 331.2 m/s (1,087 ft/s, 1,192 km/h, or 741 mph, varying a bit based on temperature), or about 1/5 mile per second (1/3 kilometer per second). | ||