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Sound Waves cannot Travel through

By BYJU'S Exam Prep

Updated on: November 9th, 2023

Sound Waves cannot Travel through a vacuum. In a vacuum, there are no particles to vibrate, so there is no medium for sound waves to travel through. We frequently encounter sound or noise in our daily lives, yet we are unaware of how sound propagates. So the explanation is that sound travels as a wave, which is why in physics, we refer to sound as a wave rather than just sound. The medium’s particles vibrate as a wave moves through it, and sound is created as a result of the vibrating of the particles.

Traveling of Sound Waves

Sound waves are a type of mechanical wave. This means that a solid, liquid, or gas-based medium is required for the propagation of sound waves. By causing the molecules in the material to vibrate, sound waves travel across each of these mediums. Solids contain closely packed molecules. Unlike solids, liquids are not as densely packed. Gases are also very slackly packed.

Sound can move through a solid much more quickly than gas due to the distance between molecules. In comparison to air, sound travels through water approximately four times quicker and farther. Particles in a medium, such as air, water, or metal, vibrate as sound waves pass through that medium.

  • The speed of sound waves depends on the properties of the medium, and they can be reflected, refracted, and absorbed by different materials.
  • Now, since sound cannot travel through a vacuum, we cannot hear sounds from outer space, where there is a vacuum between planets and stars.
  • A vacuum is a space devoid of matter, which is why it makes it impossible for any sound to travel through it.

Summary:

Sound Waves cannot travel through

In a Vacuum, Sound Waves cannot travel. A solid, liquid, or gas-based medium is required for the propagation of sound waves. Since there are no atoms or molecules in a vacuum to vibrate, they cannot move through it. Sound cannot, therefore, travel through a vacuum. However, sound can travel quickly through a solid or even a gas. The speed depends on the distance between the molecules of the medium it is passing through.

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