Lightning and Thunder
A flash of light zigs and zags across the sky. Another flash zaps its way to the ground. A loud crack, boom, or rumble sounds soon after. The flash is lightning. The sound is thunder.
The flash we see when snakes through the sky lightning is really a huge electric spark. During a thunderstorm, each tiny drop of water in a cloud becomes electrically charged making the whole cloud charged. When this electrical charge becomes strong enough, it forms a huge electrical spark – lightning.
Lightning can travel in many ways. Sometimes a charge flashes from one place to another within a cloud. Other times, electricity rushes between two clouds with electrical charges. Also, lightning can strike the ground.
A flash of lightning heats up the air around it. The heated air spreads or rushes out in all directions. As it swells, it slams into cooler air, making it shake. This is what causes the sound of thunder.
Picture Credit : Google