A Wonderleaf question
What causes thunder and lightning?
a real page from the book
Lightning starts when storm clouds separate electric charges until the pull between them becomes too strong for the air to resist. A giant spark jumps through the sky, and thunder is the sound of air expanding suddenly after that hot lightning flash.
You see the flash first because light moves far faster than sound. Counting seconds between flash and thunder gives a rough sense of distance, which is useful because a closer storm means it is time to get indoors.
Wonder words
- charge
- spark
- thunder
- lightning
Try it out
After a safe indoor flash, count slowly until the thunder, then compare whether the next rumble arrives sooner or later.
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Open the picture bookOne more wonder: Why is space so dark?
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