Can Light Travel Through Space But Sound Cannot?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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In the vacuum of space, there are no (or very, very few) particles to vibrate, so cannot travel through this medium.

Can sound travel through space?

Sound waves are travelling vibrations of particles in media such as air, water or metal. So it stands to reason that they cannot travel through empty space , where there are no atoms or molecules to vibrate.

Can sound or light travel through space?

Sound cannot travel through empty space ; it is carried by vibrations in a material, or medium (like air, steel, water, wood, etc). As the particles in the medium vibrate, energy is lost to heat, viscous processes, and molecular motion.

Where can light travel than sound Cannot?

Explain that unlike sound, light waves travel fastest through a vacuum and air, and slower through other materials such as glass or water .

Can light travel through empty space?

Light can travel in a vacuum.

A vacuum is empty space. There are no molecules of air or anything else in a vacuum. Like all forms of electromagnetic waves, light can travel through empty space, as well as through matter .

What happens to light as it travels through space?

As light travels away from a galaxy, the Universe is continually expanding, meaning that the distance the light needs to travel is continually increasing as well. As space stretches out underneath a beam of light, its wavelength increases, and its energy decreases .

Does sound travel on the moon?

However, the Moon is in space, and space is mostly a vacuum (there are always some atoms floating around, but they are VERY far apart and don't interact with one another). Thus there is no sound on the Moon .

Has NASA recorded sound in space?

The space agency used instruments on several probes (like Voyager and HAWKEYE) to record these waves. Then they put them together into a recording of a sound for all of us to hear. The result is a sound that is (frighteningly) akin to what you would expect to hear echoing as you sink into a black abyss.

Why is space completely silent?

In space, no one can hear you scream. This is because there is no air in space – it is a vacuum . Sound waves cannot travel through a vacuum.

Is space silent NASA?

Space isn't silent . It's abuzz with charged particles that — with the right tools — we can hear. Which is exactly what NASA scientists with the Van Allen Probes mission are doing.

How does light travel in space without any medium?

These changing fields form electromagnetic waves . Electromagnetic waves differ from mechanical waves in that they do not require a medium to propagate. This means that electromagnetic waves can travel not only through air and solid materials, but also through the vacuum of space.

Is lightning slower than sound?

Lightning travels at the speed of light, about 186,000 miles per second. This means that you see lightning pretty much when it happens. When lightning strikes, a is made which we call thunder. Thunder travels much slower, at the speed of sound, about 1088 feet per second.

How far can light from a flashlight travel?

50 miles in clear atmosphere for a sufficiently bright and/or focused light.

Why is space dark?

Because space is a near-perfect vacuum — meaning it has exceedingly few particles — there's virtually nothing in the space between stars and planets to scatter light to our eyes . And with no light reaching the eyes, they see black. —What color is the sunset on other planets?

How far can sound waves travel?

The speed of the sound wave is 340 m/s. The distance can be found using d = v • t resulting in an answer of 25.5 m .

Does light disappear?

Eventually there have been enough reflections that the number of visible photons in the box is zero. So the photons don't disappear instantly . But it does happen very quickly, and it is certainly imperceptible to our silly human senses. In this way the light may seem to disappear instantly.

Can we see light if not why?

You can see the light which enters in your eye and is absorbed by your retina. So you cannotsee the light passing by because it is not going towards your eye . If it meets an object, however, light will be reflected or scattered and part of it will go towards your eye.

What happens when light from the sun hits the ground?

When sunlight strikes the Earth, it is mostly reflected or absorbed . Reflected light bounces back into space while absorbed light is the source of energy that drives processes in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

What is the loudest noise in the universe?

The 1883 Krakatoa volcano eruption was the loudest sound recorded on Earth, but there are much louder sounds in space, even though we technically can't hear them.

Can planets make sounds?

NASA has previously captured the unearthly sounds of the solar system, through radio emissions that scientists have converted into sound waves . Hear the chilling cacophony of plasma waves, the mighty bellow of Jupiter, the gusty howl of Mars' surface, and every other planet in our solar system, in the video below.

Why is the Moon silent?

Because the moon has no atmosphere which means it has no wind, or any weather . So there is no sound to hear. There is also no medium for the sound to travel through. Sound cannot travel through empty space (a vacuum).

Does space have a smell?

Astronaut Thomas Jones said it “ carries a distinct odor of ozone, a faint acrid smell ...a little like gunpowder, sulfurous.” Tony Antonelli, another space-walker, said space “definitely has a smell that's different than anything else.” A gentleman named Don Pettit was a bit more verbose on the topic: “Each time, when I ...

Is there wind in space?

The solar wind streams plasma and particles from the sun out into space . Though the wind is constant, its properties aren't. What causes this stream, and how does it affect the Earth?

Can you scream in space?

Sound is a mecanical wave, which means that it needs substance to travel through, such as air or water. In space, there is no air, so sound has nothing to travel through. If someone were to scream in space, the sound wouldn't even leave their mouths.

Emily Lee
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Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.