Question

Explain why sound cannot travel through vacuum.

Answer 1

Step 1: Sound:

1. Sound is a form of energy that is made up of vibrations.
2. Object vibrations cause movement in nearby air molecules.
3. These molecules bump due to these vibrations, and make neighboring molecules excited, causing them also to vibrate. So this process of bumping molecules continues.
4. This bumping causes the creation of sound.

Step 2: Sound can't propagate in a vacuum:

1. Sound is a mechanical wave, so to propagate it, some material or medium is required.
2. We know a vacuum is an empty space where no matter particles are present.
3. Sound cannot travel through a vacuum as there are no particles present for vibrations to take place.

Therefore, sound cannot travel through a vacuum.