Sign Up
School Account Sign Up
Contributor: Elephango Editors. Lesson ID: 10422
Flash! Boom! Where does lightning come from? Why does thunder roar? Explore the shocking science behind thunderstorms with fun activities, videos, and experiments!
It was a warm, damp day on the farm. The sky was turning dark, and the air felt heavy.
Patricia saw a bright flash in the sky, followed by a loud BOOM!
Grandma told her to start counting. One… two… three… CRACK! The thunder rumbled through the air.
Find out!
What Makes Thunder and Lightning?
Weather is what’s happening in the air around you. Some days are sunny, some are rainy, and sometimes… storms roll in!
When a storm gets strong and dangerous, it’s called severe weather.
Thunderstorms are one type of severe weather. They bring heavy rain, strong winds, bright lightning, and loud thunder.
It all starts inside a thundercloud.
High in the sky, tiny bits of ice swirl around and bump into each other. This rubbing creates electricity, just like when you rub a balloon on your hair!
Some parts of the cloud get a negative charge, and others get a positive charge. When the charges get strong enough, a spark jumps between them.
That spark is lightning!
Lightning is super hot—hotter than the surface of the sun! When it flashes, it heats up the air so fast that the air explodes outward. That explosion is what you hear as thunder.
Lightning always comes first because light travels faster than sound. That’s why you see the flash before you hear the boom!
Watch this video to learn more about why lightning and thunder happen!
Now that you’ve seen thunder and lightning in action, put that knowledge to the test in the Got It? section!
Supplies
Suggested Reading
FAVORITE
Like