Official Answer Key & Detailed Solution
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Concept & Option Breakdown
Standard Reference VerifiedThunder is caused by the sudden thermal expansion of air surrounding a lightning bolt. When lightning strikes, the air is heated instantaneously to temperatures up to 30,000 K, producing an explosive shock wave that travels as sound (thunder). Statements 1, 2, and 3 are incorrect descriptions of the physical source of thunder sound waves.
Recall basic physics: thunder is the acoustic shockwave caused solely by the instantaneous heating and rapid expansion of air by a lightning discharge.
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