Question

Why do you see lightning before you hear thunder?

The thunder has to reflect off the ground first.

The rain in the air slows the sound waves down.

The lightning is closer to the ground than the thunder.

Light travels faster than sound through the air.

Answer 1

The correct reason you see lightning before you hear thunder is that **light travels faster than sound through the air**. When lightning strikes, it generates light that reaches your eyes almost instantly, while the sound of thunder travels at a much slower speed, taking longer to reach your ears. This difference in the speed of light (which travels at approximately 299,792 kilometers per second) and the speed of sound (which travels at about 343 meters per second in air) explains why you perceive lightning before thunder.