Question

During a thunderstorm, a 5.5 s difference between observing a lightening flash and hearing the resultant thunder. How far away in km and mi was the lightening flash? (The speed of sound is 344 m/s)

Answer 1

Given:

The time difference between the lightning flash and thunderstorm is t = 5.5 s

The speed of the sound is v = 344 m/s

Required:

The distance in km and miles

Explanation:

The distance traveled by sound can be calculated by the formula

$d=v\times t$

On substituting the values, the distance will be

$\begin{gathered} d=344\times5.5 \\ =1892\text{ m} \\ =1.892\text{ km} \\ =1.176\text{ miles} \end{gathered}$

Final Answer:

The distance traveled by the lightning is 1.176 miles or 1.892 km