Thunder
Lightning heats air, which makes thunder.
Flash then boom
You see a flash of lightning. A moment later you hear a loud sound.
What do you think makes the loud sound?
What this lesson covers
The idea
Lightning rapidly heats the surrounding air, which expands and produces the sound of thunder; a storm with lightning and thunder is a thunderstorm.
Flash then boom
You see a flash of lightning. A moment later you hear a loud sound.
What do you think makes the loud sound?
- Air around the lightning heated suddenly and expanding
- The cloud tearing
- The ground cracking
Flash to boom
Press Next step to follow the events.
Heat, expand, boom
Lightning rapidly heats the air around it. The air expands and makes a loud sound called thunder. A storm that has lightning and thunder is a thunderstorm.
Lightning heats the air rapidly, the air expands and gives thunder. A storm with lightning and thunder is a thunderstorm.
Notes
Lightning heats air, the air expands, giving thunder.
Check yourself
Thunder is produced when the …
Lightning heats the air around it …
A storm accompanied by lightning and thunder is a …
Thunder is a …
- clouds melt. The air heated by lightning expands and produces the sound.
- ground shakes. Thunder is made by expanding hot air.
- air heated by lightning expands — correct. Yes!
- very rapidly — correct. Yes!
- very slowly. Lightning heats the air rapidly.
- not at all. It heats up the air rapidly.
- cyclone. A cyclone is a different, large spinning storm. This one is a thunderstorm.
- thunderstorm — correct. Yes!
- sea breeze. A storm with lightning and thunder is a thunderstorm.
- bright flash. The flash is lightning. Thunder is the loud sound.
- kind of wind. Thunder is a loud sound.
- loud sound — correct. Yes!