Sound can't be carried in the empty vacuum of space because sound waves need a medium to vibrate through such as air or water.
Considering this, can sound travel through a vacuum Why or why not?
In the vacuum of space, there are no (or very, very few) particles to vibrate, so sound cannot travel through this medium. Radio waves travel perfectly fine through a vacuum because they are a type of electromagnetic wave (light), and electromagnetic waves do not need a medium to travel through.
Furthermore, what happens when sound waves enter a vacuum? During the propagation of sound, the particles of the medium receive these vibrations and transfer them to the surrounding particles, allowing sound to travel. In a vacuum, there are no particles that can transfer and carry vibrations, so sound cannot travel. The most well-known example of a near-vacuum is outer space.
Accordingly, can sound be transmitted through a vacuum?
Sound can leap across a vacuum after all. 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 light waves travel through a vacuum?
In contrast, light waves can travel through a vacuum, and do not require a medium. In empty space, the wave does not dissipate (grow smaller) no matter how far it travels, because the wave is not interacting with anything else.
Similar Question and The Answer
What happens to sound energy in a vacuum?
Sound energy travels in the form of waves. Unlike light energy, sound cannot travel through a vacuum, because there are no atoms to transmit the vibration. Think of it like a Mexican Wave at a sports stadium. Each person that continues the wave is like an atom passing on the vibration.
Can you hear sound in a vacuum?
No, you cannot hear any sounds in near-empty regions of space. Sound travels through the vibration of atoms and molecules in a medium (such as air or water). In space, where there is no air, sound has no way to travel.
What type of wave is sound?
In this case, the particles of the medium move parallel to the direction that the pulse moves. This type of wave is a longitudinal wave. Longitudinal waves are always characterized by particle motion being parallel to wave motion. A sound wave traveling through air is a classic example of a longitudinal wave.
Does sound waves die?
To answer your question, yes. Sound waves do die out after a while. When this vibrational energy is absorbed by objects in space, the energy of the wave starts reducing ultimately making is so low that the resulting sound is inaudible, and the sound finally dies out.
Does sound need oxygen travel?
Sound doesn't necessarily need oxygen. It in no way need oxygen. Sound needs a medium to travel through, and it can do so through air which is comprise of various gases (21% of which is oxygen), liquids such as water, or solids such as the floor or ground.
Does sound travel fastest in a vacuum?
The speed of sound in a vacuum is zero meters per second, as sound cannot travel in a vacuum. Sound is a wave, which means it spreads through the vibration of particles in a medium, such as water or air.
Can sound waves be reflected?
Sound is reflected from a surface at the same angle at which it strikes the surface. This fact makes it possible to focus sound by means of curved reflecting surfaces in the same way that curved mirrors can be used to focus light.
Does sound take up space?
Space Environment So, in order for sound to travel, there has to be something with molecules for it to travel through. On Earth, sound travels to your ears by vibrating air molecules. In deep space, the large empty areas between stars and planets, there are no molecules to vibrate. There is no sound there.
Is space completely silent?
While the vast majority of space is a vacuum, and thus completely silent, there still are some areas that sound can be heard.
What does outer space sound like?
Space is a vacuum — so it generally doesn't carry sound waves like air does here on Earth (though some sounds do exist in outer space, we just can't hear them). These radio emissions are then converted into sound waves, and the result is the spooky sounds NASA put together into a playlist.
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. 'Outer space' begins about 100 km above the Earth, where the shell of air around our planet disappears.
What factors does the speed of sound depend upon?
The speed of sound depends on the elasticity and density of the medium through which it is traveling. In general, sound travels faster in liquids than in gases and faster in solids than in liquids. The greater the elasticity and the lower the density, the faster sound travels in a medium.
What if sound would travel through space?
A: Sound can't be carried in the empty vacuum of space because sound waves need a medium to vibrate through such as air or water. Until recently, we thought that since there is no air in space, that no sound could travel and that is still true but only up to a point.
What are four things that marine animals use sound for?
Some animals that use sound include dolphins, bats, fish, invertebrates, polar bears, otter, seals and whales. Echolocation is defined as the ability to produce high frequency clicks and to detect echoes that bounce off distant objects.