Elliot Kim
The sound barrier refers to the sudden increase in aerodynamic drag that occurs when an object approaches the speed of sound, also known as Mach 1. Breaking the sound barrier means exceeding the speed of sound. Lightning is a natural phenomenon that involves the discharge of electricity from the atmosphere to the planet, creating a flow of electrons that superheat the air, causing rapid air expansion that results in an explosion we perceive as thunder. This raises the question: does lightning break the sound barrier?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition of breaking the sound barrier | A sudden increase in aerodynamic drag that happens when an object approaches the speed of sound (Mach 1) |
| Speed required to break the sound barrier | Approximately 770 mph or 1,239 km/h at sea level |
| Lightning's speed | Very close to the speed of light |
| Thunder | The sound caused by lightning; it occurs at the same time as lightning but is heard after lightning due to light travelling faster than sound |
| Cause of thunder | Lightning superheats the air to temperatures higher than the surface of the sun, causing the air to expand in an explosion that is heard as thunder |
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What You'll Learn
- Lightning travels at close to the speed of light, not the speed of sound
- Thunder is the sound caused by lightning
- Lightning creates plasma by superheating the air
- The speed at which you break the sound barrier depends on conditions like weather and altitude
- Breaking the sound barrier does not refer to a physical wall
Lightning travels at close to the speed of light, not the speed of sound
It is a common misconception that lightning travels at the speed of light. In reality, lightning travels at a speed that is merely close to the speed of light.
Lightning is the discharge of electricity from the atmosphere into the planet. It is made of electrons, which flow at whatever speed they are pushed. The speed at which electrons are pushed depends on the forces between them, which travel at the speed of light. However, the electrons themselves do not travel at the speed of light. Instead, they move relatively slowly and cover a small distance.
Light travels at the speed of light, which is approximately 875,000 times faster than the speed of sound. This is evident when we see a lightning strike before we hear its thunder. The speed of light is so fast that it reaches us almost instantaneously, while sound takes much longer to travel the same distance.
Thunder is the sound caused by lightning, and both occur simultaneously. However, we see the lightning flash before we hear the sound of thunder because light travels much faster than sound. It takes sound approximately 5 seconds to travel a mile or 3 seconds to travel a kilometer. This difference in speed can be used to calculate the distance of a lightning strike.
Therefore, lightning travels at a speed that is much faster than the speed of sound but still significantly slower than the speed of light.
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Thunder is the sound caused by lightning
The concept of "breaking the sound barrier" refers to exceeding the speed of sound, which is approximately 770 mph or 1,239 km/h at sea level. While lightning travels extremely fast, it does not reach the speed of light, let alone the speed of sound. Therefore, it is more accurate to describe lightning as creating a shockwave or sonic boom rather than breaking the sound barrier.
Thunder and lightning occur simultaneously, but we perceive them separately due to the difference in the speed of light and sound. Light travels much faster than sound, so we see the lightning flash before we hear the resulting thunder. The delay between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder can be used to estimate the distance to the lightning strike. According to the National Weather Service, dividing the number of seconds between the flash and the thunder by five will give the distance in miles.
The sound of thunder can vary, with distant lightning often producing a relatively quiet, high-pitched sound followed by a louder, low-pitched rumble. This variation in sound results from the difference in the speed of sound at different frequencies and the reflection and refraction of sound waves in the atmosphere.
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Lightning creates plasma by superheating the air
Lightning is a spark discharge that occurs between the atmosphere and the Earth's surface or within the atmosphere. It is a result of the separation of positive and negative electric charges within the atmosphere. The formation of these electric charges is due to the ionization of air molecules by cosmic rays.
The electric current of the return stroke averages 30 kiloamperes for a typical negative CG flash, often referred to as "negative CG" lightning. In some cases, a ground-to-cloud (GC) lightning flash may originate from a positively charged region on the ground below a storm. These discharges normally originate from the tops of very tall structures, such as communication antennas. The rate at which the return stroke current travels has been found to be around 100,000 km/s (one-third of the speed of light).
The charge carrier in lightning is mainly electrons in a plasma. The process of going from charge as ions (positive hydrogen ion and negative hydroxide ion) associated with liquid water or solid water to charge as electrons associated with lightning must involve some form of electrochemistry. The best-studied and understood form of lightning is cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning. Although more common, intra-cloud (IC) and cloud-to-cloud (CC) flashes are difficult to study because there are no fixed points to monitor inside the clouds.
Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. It occurs at the same time as lightning, but we see the lightning flash before we hear the thunder because light travels much faster than sound. The superheating of the air by lightning creates a shock wave that is audible as thunder. The sound waves propagate not from a single point source but along the length of the lightning path, and the varying distances of the sound origin from the observer can generate a rolling or rumbling effect.
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The speed at which you break the sound barrier depends on conditions like weather and altitude
The speed of sound is about 750 miles per hour at sea level. However, it can vary depending on factors such as altitude, temperature, and air pressure. For instance, the speed of sound is approximately 770 mph or 1,239 kmh at sea level, and it is referred to as Mach 1. At higher altitudes, the speed of sound decreases due to lower air density, while at lower altitudes, it increases.
Similarly, changes in temperature and air pressure can also affect the speed of sound. For example, sound travels faster in warmer air than in cooler air because the particles in warm air are moving faster and can transmit sound waves more quickly.
The speed at which an object breaks the sound barrier depends on these same conditions, including weather and altitude. For example, an aircraft flying at high altitudes will need to reach a higher speed to break the sound barrier than one flying at lower altitudes. Similarly, changes in temperature and air pressure can affect the speed of sound, which in turn influences the speed required to break the sound barrier.
It is worth noting that lightning does not break the sound barrier in the same way that aircraft or bullets do. Thunder, the sound caused by lightning, is created when lightning ionizes the air, causing a shockwave that results in the sound we hear. This is similar to a sonic boom, which is created when an object moves faster than sound. However, lightning itself travels at a speed close to the speed of light, far surpassing the speed of sound.
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Breaking the sound barrier does not refer to a physical wall
Breaking the sound barrier refers to an object exceeding the speed of sound, which is approximately 770 mph or 1,239 km/h at sea level. It is not a reference to a physical wall or barrier.
The sound barrier creates a sudden increase in aerodynamic drag, which acts as a "barrier" to further acceleration. This increase in drag is very sudden and large, and it was once believed that it could destroy an aircraft. However, Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier on October 14, 1947, proving that it was possible for humans to move at the speed of sound without injury.
Lightning is often associated with the concept of breaking the sound barrier because it creates a sonic boom. The lightning bolt superheats the air, causing it to expand extremely quickly in an explosion that we hear as thunder. This shockwave is a type of sonic boom, as the lightning forces the air to move faster than the speed of sound.
While lightning does not literally break the sound barrier, it creates a similar effect in the form of a shockwave or sonic boom. This demonstrates that breaking the sound barrier does not refer to a physical wall or barrier, but rather the act of exceeding the speed of sound and the resulting aerodynamic challenges.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, lightning breaks the sound barrier. Lightning creates a shockwave, which is a special case of a sonic boom.
A sonic boom is a sound caused by an object moving faster than the speed of sound.
The speed of sound is approximately 770 mph or 1,239 km/h at sea level.
Lightning superheats the air to temperatures higher than the surface of the sun, causing the air to expand extremely quickly and create an explosion that we hear as thunder.
We see lightning before we hear its thunder because light travels much faster than the speed of sound.
