speed of light ,speed of sound
2007-01-12 16:21:53 · 17 answers · asked by bush 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
In water, or dense mediums in which sound would travel faster (quicker exchanges of energy due to denser particle spacing), as light would travel slower because anything denser than a vacuum just slows it down.
2007-01-12 16:26:39 · answer #1 · answered by Mikey T 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Under normal atmospheric conditions, the speed of sound is 344 m/s and the speed of light is approximately 3 x 10^8 m/s. Simply put your light source 3 x 10^8 meters from your target and put your sound source 340.56 meters away from your target.
The light will arrive in 1 second and the sound will arrive in 0.99 secs.
Piece of cake.
2007-01-12 17:30:18 · answer #2 · answered by Stryder 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In physical world there is no exception but in theoretical world this will be possible in an infinetely dense material because speed of sound will become infinete n light will just come to a halt(although this is not passible, but we're talking about theory only).
But there is a possibility that light will never reach but sound will reach, this is the case of opaque substances which will not allow light to pass but will allow sound to pass, so u will be able to hear a sound but see no light.
2007-01-12 16:58:59 · answer #3 · answered by WhItE_HoLe 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if we have a medium whose R.I. is 10 ^6 then in that medium the sound will travel faster than light.
the reason is the decrease in the speed of light which comes down to approx. 3*10^2 m/s and due to density of medium the speed of sound will increase.
may be a medium with Refractive Index 10^5 will also do the job.
I have heard that such exotic materials have been synthesised.
2007-01-12 18:16:20 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A firecracker is detonated just on the other side of a huge black felt curtain. The sound easily penetrates the felt. The light must reach a mirror miles away and be reflected. You do the math to figure out how far away the mirror must be for the sound to reach you first.
See the reference for perhaps another possibility.
2007-01-12 16:41:48 · answer #5 · answered by Frank N 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There should be no exceptions where both actually arrive. Obviously if sound is blocked as in a vacuum or light is blocked by a barrier, then comparison is impossible.
The speed of sound in measure in feet or meters per second. (or in miles per hour)
The speed of light in contrast is in miles per second.
2007-01-12 16:27:44 · answer #6 · answered by Mike1942f 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
there is no exception. light travels faster than anything (299,792.458 km/s) in a vacuum whereas the speed of sound is 0 km/s in a vacuum (about 340 km/s under normal conditions). sound needs matter to travel through whereas light does not. there will never be a way to get sound to travel faster than light. not even near a black hole, because if light will be trapped by its gravity, then the matter carrying the sound sure will.
*also, light is not matter as stated above. light is radiation, thus a wave.
2007-01-12 16:33:10 · answer #7 · answered by bigwoodenhead 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
well in a place where there is a lot of mirrors the light slows down. The speed of light s faster than the speed of sound, but, speed of sound is higher than the speed of reflection. so the light gets slowed down because of reflection and sound is heard first.
2007-01-12 16:32:22 · answer #8 · answered by vasanth 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Eg. switch on the T.V. and observe.We hear the sound first & then the picture(light)
sound circuit responds faster than the picture tube
(OR because The radio was discovered earlier than the T.V.!!?)
2007-01-15 19:04:07 · answer #9 · answered by pujja 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gravity can effect the direction light travels and may never get to the same destination that sound does. Black holes can bend light to its core, but still puts out a sound.
2007-01-12 16:26:58 · answer #10 · answered by K G 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋