In the 20th century a consensus evolved that thunder must begin with a shock wave in the air due to the sudden thermal expansion of the plasma in the lightning channel. In the mid-19th century, the accepted theory was that lightning produced a vacuum and that the collapse of that vacuum produced what is known as thunder. The Roman philosopher Lucretius held it was from the sound of hail colliding within clouds. Early thinking was that it was made by deities, but the ancient Greek philosophers attributed it to natural causes, such as wind striking clouds ( Anaximander, Aristotle) and movement of air within clouds ( Democritus). The cause of thunder has been the subject of centuries of speculation and scientific inquiry. The shared Proto-Indo-European root is * tón-r̥ or * tar-, also found in Gaulish Taranis. The name of the Nordic god Thor comes from the Old Norse word for thunder. In Latin the term was tonare "to thunder". Middle Dutch donre also Old Norse þorr, Old Frisian þuner, Old High German donar, all ultimately descended from Proto-Germanic * þunraz). The d in Modern English thunder (from earlier Old English þunor) is epenthetic, and is now found as well in Modern Dutch donder (cf. The scientific study of thunder is known as brontology and the irrational fear ( phobia) of thunder is called brontophobia. In turn, this expansion of air creates a sonic shock wave, often referred to as a "thunderclap" or "peal of thunder". The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning produces rapid expansion of the air in the path of a lightning bolt. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Cumulonimbus clouds often form thunderstorms. Thunder is the sound produced by lightning. For other uses, see Thunder (disambiguation).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |