The scent of a storm: Here’s why lightning emits a smell

You’ve seen it, you’ve heard it, but have you ever smelled it? As bizarre as it sounds, lightning has a distinct odor. But unlike its blinding flash or deafening roar, the scent of a lightning bolt is much more subtle. In fact, you’ve probably experienced it before.

Whenever lightning strikes, it heats the air to 50,000 degrees. The rapid expansion of the air produces a sonic boom that you hear as thunder. However, at the molecular scale, chemical changes can

This story is from The Seattle Times. Read the rest of this News story at https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/wapothe-scent-of-a-storm-here-s-why-lightning-emits-a-smell/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_seattle-news.

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