Question

If a satellite or spaceship explodes in outer space, you can see the explosion from a distance but you cannot hear it. Why?
A) Light waves travel very fast and sound waves travel much slower.
B) Sound waves transmit energy while light does not transmit energy.
C) Sound is a mechanical wave and needs a medium to travel through while light is an electromagnetic wave.
D) Light is a mechanical wave and needs a medium to travel through while sound is an electromagnetic wave.

Answer 1

Answer:

C

Explanation:

Answer 2

(C) Sound is a mechanical wave and needs a medium to travel through while the light is an electromagnetic wave. is the correct option.

• Light does not need a medium to travel through but the sound needs a medium, so it cannot be delivered through space. That is the reason why we can watch the supernova explosions but cannot hear them.
• Sound does not travel at all in space. The vacuum of outer space has nearly zero air. Because sound is only vibrating air, space possesses no air to vibrate and thus no sound. If one is sitting in a spaceship and another spaceship explodes, one would hear nothing.
• Electromagnetic waves vary from mechanical waves in that they do not need a medium to produce. This implies that electromagnetic waves can travel not just through air and solid substances, but also through the vacuum of space.

Hence, If a satellite or spaceship explodes in outer space, you can see the explosion from a distance but you cannot hear it because the sound is a mechanical wave and needs a medium to travel through while the light is an electromagnetic wave.

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