which statement correctly compares sound and light waves
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct statement comparing sound and light waves is:
Sound waves are mechanical waves that require a medium to travel, while light waves are electromagnetic waves and can travel through a vacuum.
Explanation:
Sound and light are both forms of waves, but they differ significantly in their properties and how they propagate.
- Medium Requirement:
- Sound waves are mechanical waves, meaning they require a medium, such as air, water, or a solid substance, to travel. The particles in the medium vibrate to transmit the sound wave, and without a medium, sound cannot propagate. For example, in outer space, where there is no air, sound cannot travel.
- Light waves, on the other hand, are electromagnetic waves. These waves do not require any medium and can travel through the vacuum of space. Light can propagate through air, water, and even the vacuum of space. This is why we can see the sunlight even though space is a vacuum.
- Nature of the Wave:
- Sound waves are longitudinal waves, where the particles of the medium vibrate parallel to the direction of wave propagation. This compression and rarefaction of particles in the medium create the wave.
- Light waves are transverse waves, meaning the electric and magnetic fields oscillate perpendicular to the direction of the wave’s travel. These oscillating fields generate the wave, and light can travel through space without needing a medium.
- Speed of Propagation:
- Sound travels at a much slower speed compared to light. For example, sound in air travels at approximately 343 meters per second at room temperature, while light in a vacuum travels at around 300,000 kilometers per second.
- Light travels significantly faster than sound due to the absence of a medium and the different nature of the wave.
These differences are essential in understanding the distinct ways in which sound and light interact with their surroundings and why they behave differently in various environments.
