Thunder Delay 3 Second KM Rule Converter
Explicit rough 3 seconds/km thunder-distance heuristic; ignores temperature/light travel and is not lightning safety guidance.
Description
Thunder Delay 3 Second KM Rule Converter: return approximate distance km.
Sound takes time to travel from a lightning event to an observer. A rounded delay rule gives only an approximate distance.
This tool returns approximate distance km. Use the stated units and model convention when interpreting these fields.
When to use this tool
Use this tool when the supplied inputs match the specific operation described above and you need a repeatable result under its stated convention.
- Check the supported input and output contract against an existing calculation or observation.
- Use the complete example to confirm units, selector spelling and result interpretation.
How to use the tool and how it works
- Enter every field in the input table using the stated units and the exact supported selector spelling where applicable.
- Run the tool. Correct input errors before interpreting an output.
- Read the result fields below; use accompanying flags and the stated sign, boundary or model convention when interpreting a number.
Divide nonnegative delaySeconds by three to obtain approximateDistanceKm.1
| Input field | Meaning and units | Accepted input |
|---|---|---|
| delaySeconds | Delay seconds. Seconds. | Finite number; zero or greater |
| Output field | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| result | Object containing the following named result fields. |
| result.approximateDistanceKm | Approximate distance km; use the stated units and sign convention. |
{
"input": {
"delaySeconds": 9
},
"output": {
"result": {
"approximateDistanceKm": 3
}
}
}Limitations and assumptions
- The built-in rounded rule is not a precise speed-of-sound calculation or a lightning-safety assessment.
- Every declared field is required and unexpected fields are rejected. Numeric inputs must be finite; input errors are distinct from a valid false result or an explicitly qualified output.
- Extremely large inputs and nonfinite or excessively large outputs are rejected. List positions reported by the tool use zero-based indices unless stated otherwise.
Alternative or Complementary methods
Check the underlying observations, units and conventions independently before using the result in a larger workflow. The tools listed below address nearby tasks; compare their inputs and scope before substituting one for this operation.
References
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