Why are lightning and thunder observed almost simultaneously, even though lightning is a flash of light and thunder is a sound wave, given that light travels significantly faster than sound?

8 views 1 helpful Updated Jul 27, 2026
Appears in Class 8th
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Answer

Lightning and thunder are generated by the same electrical discharge during a thunderstorm. While light travels almost instantaneously over typical viewing distances, sound travels much slower. We perceive them almost simultaneously if the storm is very close because the distance is very short, making the slight time difference imperceptible. As the storm moves further away, the delay between seeing lightning and hearing thunder becomes noticeable.

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