Thunder is created by lighting. A single stroke of lighting has the power to heat the air around it to 30,000 degrees Celsius or 54,000 degrees F. The extreme heating causes the air to expand at an explosive rate.
The expansion leads to a "shock-wave" that turns into a deafening sound-wave, famously known as "thunder." Air has the tendency to expand when it is heated and contract when it becomes cold. Since the spark happens quite instantly, the air expands and cools down rapidly.
The sudden expansion and contraction makes the air create a "slapping sound," much like the way you clap your hands or burst a balloon.
Basically the snap of a spark and the crash of the thunder are one and the same thing because they are a consequence of the same effect. The only difference is the extent of the spark.
The expansion leads to a "shock-wave" that turns into a deafening sound-wave, famously known as "thunder." Air has the tendency to expand when it is heated and contract when it becomes cold. Since the spark happens quite instantly, the air expands and cools down rapidly.
The sudden expansion and contraction makes the air create a "slapping sound," much like the way you clap your hands or burst a balloon.
Basically the snap of a spark and the crash of the thunder are one and the same thing because they are a consequence of the same effect. The only difference is the extent of the spark.
