+122 votes
in Sound Waves by
edited by

Your answer

Your name to display (optional):
Privacy: Your email address will only be used for sending these notifications.
+1 vote
by

Sound does not travel through space because it requires a medium to propagate. Sound is a mechanical wave that relies on the transfer of energy through the vibration of particles in a material medium.

In the case of sound traveling through air or other substances, the sound wave is created when a source, such as a vibrating object, causes particles in the medium to oscillate. These oscillations propagate as a series of compressions and rarefactions, where particles are pushed closer together or spread apart. This pattern of particle motion transfers the energy of the sound wave from one particle to the next, allowing the sound wave to propagate through the medium.

However, space is a vacuum, meaning it is devoid of matter and particles. There are no molecules or particles in space to vibrate and carry the sound waves. Therefore, in the absence of a medium, such as air, water, or solids, sound waves cannot travel through space as we typically understand them.

It's worth noting that space is not completely silent. Electromagnetic waves, such as light and other forms of radiation, can propagate through the vacuum of space and carry energy. Astronomical objects, such as stars and galaxies, emit various forms of electromagnetic radiation that we can detect and study.

Welcome to Physicsgurus Q&A, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of the community.
...