A more tangible example can be demonstrated by wiggling one side of a string up and down, while the other end is anchored. In many ways, sound waves are similar to light waves. They both originate from a definite source, and can be distributed or scattered using various means. Unlike light, sound waves can only travel through a medium, such as air, glass, or metal. Still a little confused? Resonance Air Column with Speaker.
Wireless Sound Sensor. Follow Us. Contact Us. Back to Top. My Account Sign In. My Favorites. Light travels much faster than sound through air. For example, a person fires a starting pistol and raises their hand in the air at the same time. A distant observer stood metres m away records the time between seeing the action the light reaches the time keeper immediately and hearing the sound which takes more time to cover the same distance.
The speed of sound can be calculated using the equation:. This is when:. An observer m away records a 1. Press your ear against a solid surface like a table and close your eyes. Tell someone else to tap his or her finger on the other end of the table. The tapping becomes the initial disturbance. Each tap sends vibrations through the table. The particles in the table collide with each other and become the medium for the sound. The particles in the table collide with air particles between the table and your eardrum.
When a wave moves from one medium to another like this, it's called transmission. The air particles collide with your ear's tympanic membrane , also known as the eardrum. This sets off a series of vibrations in several structures inside the ear. The brain interprets these vibrations as sounds. The whole process is pretty complex. You can learn more in How Hearing Works. So, sound needs a physical medium in order to travel anywhere. Is there enough physical material in space to act as a medium for sound waves?
Find out in the next section.
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