Have you ever heard thunder without lightning?

Question

I always thought the lightning was what created thunder but my boyfriend insists that thunder is when clouds bump into each other and you don't really need lightning to have thunder.

Answer 1

I'm afraid that he is just 'joshing' you.  Clouds are visible water vapor, or droplets, and can't make any noise when they 'bump into each other'.  I've never heard of thunder without lightening, but I've heard of lightening without thunder, as in 'heat lightening.  Good luck, and have a nice evening.

Answer 2

No

You might not see the lightning, but it is lightening that causes thunder. Thunder is caused by the sudden expansion of air as lightning passes through it.

Answer 3

you will always see lightning before you hear thunder as light travels faster than sound. Can you have thunder without lightning?

Can’t be done, if only by definition. But you might not always be able to see the parent lightning discharge. Especially during the daytime, lightning discharges deep within a cloud are difficult to see. And more than 80% of all lightning discharges remain inside clouds.

Lightning is produced in thunderstorms when liquid and ice particles above the freezing level collide, and build up large electrical fields in the clouds. Once these electric fields become large enough, a giant "spark" occurs between them, like static electricity, reducing the charge separation. The lightning spark can occur between clouds, between the cloud and air, or between the cloud and ground.

Answer 4

yeah i've heard thunder without the lightning, thats because the lightning was far off

however you are both wrong wrong lightning creates thunder

lightning is formed when the cloud particles seperate in positive and negative charges (still debated how this happens ice in the cloud is what many scientists believe cause this)

and because lightning is so powerful (there is so much energy) its so hot it makes a shockwave, which we hear as thunder