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How Far Away Is The Thunderstorm?

It takes 3 seconds for sound to travel 1 kilometer (5 seconds to travel 1 mile). The next time a thunderstorm comes your way, look out your bedroom window and watch for lightning. When you see a lightning flash count the number of seconds until you hear thunder. Use the above calculation to figure out how far away the thunderstorm is.

Example: You see lightning flash across the sky. 15 seconds later you hear thunder. How far away was the lightning bolt?


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