Can we simulate thunder to have a better idea as to how thunder is made?

Question

I know we understand how thunder is made but can I, as an experiment, try to simulate thunder at home?

Answer 1

Lightning is considered to be plasma.  Plasma is a state of matter such as a solid, liquid, or gas.  Plasma is an ionized gas, which because of its unique properties, is considered a fourth state of matter and is little understood even today.

Lightning travels from the earth up to an ionized thunderhead, so it actually travels up, not down.  As the spark travels up through the air, the air quickly becomes an ionized gas.  As the molecules of gas are heated and excited they expand, like water into steam, but very fast.

The molecules break the sound barrier of 770 mph.  The term sound barrier was used before the Bell X-1 jet flew faster and "broke the sound barrier", which meant there was no barrier. It was the first jet to create a sonic boom when it flew faster than the speed of sound.

So you could say that when a super sonic jet aircraft makes a sonic boom it's "simulating thunder".

Answer 2

We pretty much know how its made now im sure you can simulate it to find out better but otherwise scientists already know how thunder is made.