Sound and light are both forms of energy that propagate through various mediums. However, they differ in the way they travel and the nature of the medium they propagate in, which leads to differences in their speeds.
The speed of light in a vacuum, denoted by 'c', is a fundamental constant in the universe and is approximately 299,792,458 meters per second (or about 186,282 miles per second). It is the fastest possible speed and is determined by the properties of the electromagnetic field.
On the other hand, sound is a mechanical wave that requires a medium (such as air, water, or solids) to travel. In a medium, sound propagates by transferring energy from one particle to another through a series of compressions and rarefactions. The speed of sound, denoted by 'v', varies depending on the characteristics of the medium it travels through.
Several factors influence the speed of sound, including the density, elasticity, and temperature of the medium. In general, sound travels faster in denser and more elastic mediums. For example, sound travels faster in solids than in liquids, and faster in liquids than in gases.
The main reason sound cannot travel as fast as light is the nature of the medium it propagates in. In most common mediums, such as air, sound waves travel at significantly slower speeds compared to the speed of light. This is because the particles in a medium are relatively more massive and closer together, resulting in slower energy transfer compared to the propagation of electromagnetic waves.
Moreover, the speed of light is an inherent property of electromagnetic waves, determined by the fundamental constants of the universe. It is not dependent on any specific medium but is a universal constant. In contrast, the speed of sound depends on the specific properties of the medium through which it travels.
Therefore, the fundamental differences in the nature of sound and light, the mediums they propagate in, and the underlying physical principles governing their propagation lead to the significant difference in their speeds, with light being much faster than sound.