Q: During a thunderstorm, the thunder in the skies is produced by the
- Meeting of cumulonimbus clouds in the sky.
- Lightning that separates the nimbus clouds.
- Violent upward movement of air and water particles.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
a) 1 only
b) 2 and 3
c) 1 and 3
d) None of the above produces the thunder
Correct Answer: Option (d)
- Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. The sudden increase in pressure and temperature from lightning produces rapid expansion of the air surrounding and within a bolt of lightning. In turn, this expansion of air creates a sonic shock wave, similar to a sonic boom, which produces the sound of thunder. The cause of thunder has been the subject of centuries of speculation and scientific inquiry. The first recorded theory is attributed to the Greek philosopher Aristotle in the third century BC, and an early speculation was that it was caused by the collision of clouds. Subsequently, numerous other theories were proposed. By the mid-19th century, the accepted theory was that lightning produced a vacuum. In the 20th century a consensus evolved that thunder must begin with a shock wave in the air due to the sudden thermal expansion of the plasma in the lightning channel. Hence, option (d) is correct.
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