Estimate how far away lightning struck from flash-to-thunder delay.
Results
Distance to Lightning
1.72 km
Approx. 1.07 miles
Speed of Sound
343.4 m/s
Light is effectively instant; sound travels ~331.3 + 0.606T m/s. Distance ≈ v × time.
Enter seconds between flash and thunder and local air temperature. The tool estimates distance in km and miles.
5 s at 20°C → speed ≈ 343 m/s → distance ≈ 1.71 km (≈1.06 miles).
Q: Is this precise? A: It's an approximation — local conditions affect sound speed. Q: Why include temperature? A: Sound speed varies with temperature.
Related Tools
Calculate angular resolution.
Calculate aperture area.
Calculate Brewster's angle.
Calculate Compton scattering.
Calculate Compton wavelength.
Calculate lens vertex distance.