Thunder Facts for Kids

19 Thunder Facts For Kids

1. Thunder is the sound created by lightning as it rapidly expands the air and creates a sonic shock wave.
2. Thunder can only be created in a cumulonimbus cloud, also known as thunderclouds.
3. Thunder can be as loud as 120 dB; for reference sitting next to a speaker at a rock concert would be around 120 dB.
4. Thunder sounds travel at the speed sound or around 767 miles per hour.
5. Thunder travels at the speed of sound and lightning travels at the speed of light. Since light travels much faster than sound you’ll almost always see a flash of lightning before you hear thunder.
6. Thunder is loud enough to be heard up to 10 miles away and in rare situations a few miles beyond that.
7. It’s possible for the shock wave that creates thunder to cause damage to buildings and property if it’s close enough.
8. Thunder sounds fall into one of four categories: claps, peals, rolls, or rumbles.
9. The claps category is for thunder with a higher pitch and lasts up to two seconds.
10. The peals category is for thunder with a variable frequency and pitch.
11. The rolls category is for thunder with irregular pitch.
12. The rumble category is for thunder with a low pitch and can last up to 30 seconds.
13. A winter thunderstorm, also known as a thundersnowstorm, is an event where thunder is created during a winter storm.
14. Thunder created by a winter thunderstorm is harder to hear due to the acoustic suppressing properties of snow.
15. Thunder can be confused with other sounds, such as an airplane going faster than the speed of sound (Mach 1), which would create a sonic boom. The noise an airplane makes going Mach 1 is caused by the same mechanics that create the sound of thunder.
16. You can guesstimate how far lightning is from you using the sound of thunder. It takes the sound of thunder about five seconds to travel one mile. Wait until you see a lightning flash and start counting in your head “one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand thee, etc.”, and stop once you hear thunder. This method of counting basically takes one second each number and five seconds is about one mile for the sound of thunder.
17. The branch of meteorology which studies thunder is called brontology and a person who studies thunder is called a brontologist.
18. A person with an irrational fear of lightning and/or thunder has astraphobia.
19. Zeus was the god of sky and thunder ancient Greek Mythology.

Thunder Pictures

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the below images will be helpful for your research on thunder. Below are three pictures related to thunder. These pictures should help you better understand how thunder is measured and what storms can create thunder.

A picture of a supercell thunderstorm with loud thunder.

A picture of a thunder and lightning in a thunderstorm.

A picture of a sound meter used for measuring thunder.