Give three differences between a sound wave and a radio wave.
2007-02-17 07:13:24 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
1. Sound waves can be heard by the ear because their frequency is high enough to hear. Radio waves are much longer frequency waves and need electronics to see or hear them.
2. Sound waves are produced by oscillations of the air whereas radio wave are oscillations of photons of light.
3. Radio waves travel greater distances because of their longer wavelengths and at greater speed: about 670 million miles/hour in a vacuum for light and about 740 miles/hour for sound waves.
4. Bonus difference: Sound waves cannot travel in a vacuum because there is no air for the waves to oscillate in. Photos provide their own oscillations and can travel through a vacuum. That's why we use radio wave detectors to study outer space and not sound waves.
2007-02-17 08:00:23 · answer #1 · answered by Twizard113 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sound waves require a medium (air, water,metal etc.) in which to travel (they cannot travel in a vacuum) and really are just energy transmitted by the medium through which they travel. They travel at the speed of sound (different for each different medium) which is about 620 mph in air. Radio waves are a form of electromagnetic radiation and are, strictly speaking, not simple waves. They are particles (photons, the same particles as visible light which is also part of the electromagnetic spectrum) that have an associated wave function so sometimes they behave as discrete particles and sometimes as waves (and occasionally as a bit of both). There are two fundamental differences, electromagnetic radiation can travel through a vacuum (i.e. the 'vacuum' of space) and they travel at the speed of light which is approximately 186,000mile per second.
2016-05-23 23:17:18 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Soundwave Radio
2016-11-02 22:23:06 · answer #3 · answered by veradis 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sound waves are longitudinal, your ears hear them, they travel at 1100 feet/sec.
Radio waves are transverse, part of the electromagnetic spectrum, your need a radio receiver to pick them up and hear them, the travel at 186,000 miles/sec
2007-02-17 07:24:22 · answer #4 · answered by science teacher 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You can hear sound waves but not radio waves, they oscillate at different and finally the pitches are different
2007-02-17 07:17:38 · answer #5 · answered by MMMeeeeee 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋