Sound Storm

Question on sound waves, how far away a storm is?

Leanne watched a thunderstorm. She saw lightning and heard thunder 5 seconds later. Sound travels at about 330m/s. How far away was the storm?
And why?
And part b, What has she assumed in doing her calculation?

you also assume that they started at the same time. that the thunder was to that particular lightning.
we also assume a common temperature gradient between source and listener.
we also assume that the person can count, which if we use significant figures, the time is really anywhere between 4-6 seconds, since only one sigfig is used.
we also assume that "how far away was the storm" means linear distance, which is really silly because things travel in a geodesic, unless its really close and then its ok.
The question "how far away" is morally different than how close. Maybe by asking how far away they really meant for you to subtract the "answer" from the circumference of the earth. How close might be answered by 1650 meters but how far away might be more like 40039820 ( if you use the mean circumference)
You also assume the location, the source of the sound. is the 1650 meters to the place where the sound originated from? Is that a point source? I don't think so! it its a vertical linear source, then its the distance to where? Personally, I would cite all of the above mentioned problems and refuse to do the problem.

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