Lightning is so loud because it creates a rapid and extreme heating of the air surrounding the lightning channel, causing a powerful sonic boom.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
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Sudden Heating: When lightning strikes, it can heat the air around its channel to temperatures as high as 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit (27,760 degrees Celsius) - much hotter than the surface of the sun!
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Rapid Expansion: This extreme heat causes the air to expand incredibly quickly. The air essentially explodes outward.
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Sonic Boom (Thunder): The rapid expansion of air creates a shockwave that travels faster than the speed of sound. When this shockwave reaches your ears, you hear it as thunder, which can range from a sharp crack to a long rumble, depending on the distance and characteristics of the lightning strike. The "crack" sound occurs when lightning is nearby, and the "rumble" occurs when lightning is further away because sound waves bounce off of objects.
In essence, the sound we hear as thunder is the "sonic boom" created by the rapid expansion of superheated air caused by the lightning bolt.
