I have been very curious about this for a year or two now, and have been wondering if sound can travel through a vacuum. More specifically whether sound in space ie. an explosion could be heard on a ship with an atmosphere. Yea I know it's basic physics, it's just been a long time.
2006-07-03 08:00:03 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Chemistry was my forte, I was a novice in Physics at best... thanks for the answers.
2006-07-03 08:09:39 · update #1
Radio messages can travel as photons through a vacuum as easily as light or X-rays. Sound can not travel through a vacuum which is easily demonstrated by placing an alarm clock in a bell jar and removing all the air. Sound travels through air (or water or metal) when initiated by energy (drum stick?) which causes molecules to vibrate and pass on the vibrations in a sound wave. Sounds of an explosion could be heard onboard a habitable space ship where they occurred but not on the next space ship separated by the vacuum of space. Hope that helps a little.
2006-07-03 08:46:00 · answer #1 · answered by Kes 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sound is conducted through a material by physical waves. Think of it as the sound source bumps the nearest atom in the air, then that atom bumps the next one which bumps the next one and so on all the way to your ear.
Radio and light are electromagnetic waves. No matter or atoms are needed, only electric and magnetic fields. The waves are basically kinks in the field lines. And these fields can exist in a vacuum.
2006-07-03 09:53:43 · answer #2 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are talking about two entirely different things. Radio coming from the station to your receiver is just electromagnetic waves, just like TV signals, RADAR, sun light, etc. Once the sound has been processed by your set, it is converted to sound waves which DO require air. Sound is just air pressure waves. So bottom line, radio waves travel better in a vacuum than in air, sound waves will not travel in a vacuum... ok?
2006-07-03 08:09:00 · answer #3 · answered by Bullfrog_53 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Radio waves are a form of light waves, just that the eye can't see them. Light travels in a vacuum, and so radio does too.
Sound, on the other hand, cannot travel through a vacuum.
It's the vibration of particles, so without any particles, the wave cannot travel.
2006-07-03 08:08:21 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Radio is not sound.
Sound is vibration, and requires a medium to propagate. Vacuum is absent anything to vibrate, hence no sound.
Radio is electromagnetic radiation, aka light. Light propagates through particles that act like waves (photons), and does not need a medium to propagate. Vacuum is not a hinderence to light (otherwise, the sun would be naught but a curiosity and we wouldn't be here having this conversation.)
2006-07-03 08:28:00 · answer #5 · answered by kx_wx 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately, nobody knows exactly WHY an EM wave can travel through free space without a medium of propagation. It's just one of those things you have to accept.
2006-07-03 12:08:58 · answer #6 · answered by hobo joe 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Electro magnetic waves
2006-07-03 08:04:22 · answer #7 · answered by Gyuri L 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
E & M fileds..
2006-07-03 08:59:19 · answer #8 · answered by hybrid 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋