Here's why it seems they happen at the same time:

* Speed of Light vs. Speed of Sound: Light travels incredibly fast (approximately 299,792,458 meters per second), while sound travels much slower (around 343 meters per second).

* Distance: Lightning strikes can occur miles away. The light from the strike reaches your eyes almost instantly, but the sound waves take much longer to travel the same distance.

* Perception: Our brains are wired to process things very quickly. The slight delay between seeing the light and hearing the thunder is often too short for us to perceive as a separate event.

So, how can you tell how far away a lightning strike is?

* The 5-second rule: For every 5 seconds between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder, the strike is approximately one mile away.

Let me know if you have any other questions!