Counting Thunder

Myth: You can tell how far away a storm is, if you count the time between the lighting and its thunder.

True or False: True! (If you get the whole story)

    Your science teacher will tell you that light waves travel faster than sound waves. That’s part of the reason this works. But, counting isn’t the whole story- there’s math involved.
    Sound travels about 1 mile in 5 seconds. So, you have to count 1 one-thousand, 2 one-thousand, and so on, from the time you see the lighting, until the time you hear the thunder. Then, you have to divide the highest number you counted by 5. That’s the answer you are looking for. The result of your division is the number of miles the storm still needs to travel to get to you.