Question

A person is watching a storm on the horizon. The storm is approximately five miles away but can be viewed from the person's yard. When lightning strikes and thunder rolls during the distant storm, the person is observing the storm. Which statement accurately describes how the thunder and lightning would be perceived by the person?
Responses
A The thunder will be heard first and the lightning will be seen later.The thunder will be heard first and the lightning will be seen later.
B The person will hear the thunder but be unable to see the lightning.The person will hear the thunder but be unable to see the lightning.
C The lightning will be seen first and the thunder will be heard later.The lightning will be seen first and the thunder will be heard later.
D The thunder and the lightning will be perceived by the person at the same time.The thunder and the lightning will be perceived by the person at the same time.

Answer 1

The correct statement is:

C. The lightning will be seen first and the thunder will be heard later.

This is because light travels much faster than sound. When a lightning strike occurs, the light from the strike reaches the observer almost instantaneously, while the sound of the thunder takes longer to travel the distance of five miles. As a result, the observer will see the lightning flash before hearing the corresponding thunder.