What Makes The Sound of Thunder?

Question

What is it that causes the big booming thunder during storms?

Answer 1

Lightning causes thunder by superheating the air in its passage, The air expands rapidly and drops in pressure, It cools equally rapidly and collapses back to its former volume, causing the boom.

Answer 2

Thunder is caused by the rapid expansion of the air surrounding the path of a lightning bolt. We usually hear a loud boom followed by several seconds of rumble. The first loud sound comes from the part of the main lightning bolt closest to us and the following rumbles come from those that are farther away. The sound may bounce off the low hanging clouds, nearby hills or buildings to create a series of low and continuous echoes.

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Answer 3

The sound you hear is lighting.

Answer 4

It's whats known as a sonic boom. one something breaks the sound barrier by going at a certain speed it creates a boom that is why lightning comes before thunder. jets do it to look it up on youtube.com

Answer 5

The electrical discharge (lightning) causes the thunder.  The discharge is extreemely hot and the noise is the sheer forces in the air as it expands, not unlike any other rapid heating e.g an explosion from a gun etc.

Answer 6

The sound of thunder is created when the lightning strikes and heats the surrounding gas at a very rapid rate causing sonic boom.