OMG, I'm a geek
So, we were having a pretty decent sized thunder/lighting storm (whichever you call it by...) Ameila counted the seconds (silently) and then told me it was 11 miles away. I asked which formula she used; point being, I've heard 1 or 5 seconds per mile. She said she used the "2", because she'd been told that recently (by a unnamed professional... to protect his identity.) I'd never really heard of that one before, so we start bounceing math off each other (well, I bounce math off her, I like it more...) After getting confused because we were calculating different ways (and weren't positive on the speed of sound off the tops of our heads) we break out (one of the many) physics textbook. She couldn't careless at this point, but I'm determined. So I start to do calculations (and some metric to imperial... ugly numbers *shakes head in shame*)
Anyways, I kept coming up with .166(repeating) as the speed of sound (miles per second) That's in dry 0*C air, little faster in warmer air... so about 1/5 of a mile a second... or 5 seconds a mile...
Anyways, long story short. Count the seconds and divide by 5 for miles from the strike, or divide by three of kilometers.
So, when the electronics are unplugged... what do I do for fun? Physics... and no, I haven't ever even taken a class in it...
Am I really that hopeless?
(I'm taking it this fall *squee*)
Anyways, I kept coming up with .166(repeating) as the speed of sound (miles per second) That's in dry 0*C air, little faster in warmer air... so about 1/5 of a mile a second... or 5 seconds a mile...
Anyways, long story short. Count the seconds and divide by 5 for miles from the strike, or divide by three of kilometers.
So, when the electronics are unplugged... what do I do for fun? Physics... and no, I haven't ever even taken a class in it...
Am I really that hopeless?
(I'm taking it this fall *squee*)