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Experiment: Measuring The Distance To A Storm

Materials:
Watch with a second hand
Thunderstorm

Procedure:
Watch for a flash of lightning and count the seconds until you hear thunder.
Divide the number of seconds by five.
The resulting number is the approximate number of miles to the storm.

Why It Works:
Light travels almost instantly through the air, while sound moves at around 1,100 feet per second. It takes roughly five seconds, then, for thunder to travel one mile (5,280 feet). Every five seconds of silence between the lightning flash and the thunderclap represents one mile.

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