Why does sound need a medium

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. However, this experimental method is flawed as humans do not use stop clocks identically to one another and also the error in reading such a small time interval is very high.

One person might stop the timer a fraction of a second later than another person. Jun 9, Because they're mechanical waves. Explanation: Sound wave is a progressive wave that'll transfer energy between two points.

Related questions Question f8f9b. Question f. Question Question c7b Question c When we see lightning the sound it produces at exactly the same time is often heard as thunder a few seconds later by an observer a few miles away.

Unfortunately children will not always accept that the light and sound are from the same instantaneous release of energy. It is, however, possible to watch a sound being made at some distance away and to detect a slight delay in hearing the sound. Exploding fireworks, the click of a ball on a cricket bat and a child bashing a dustbin lid at the other end of a playing field will all provide this opportunity.

Sound travels in solids and liquids too. Sound waves travel faster and more effectively in liquids than in air and travel even more effectively in solids. This concept is particularly hard to believe since our general experiences lead us to hear reduced or garbled sounds in water or behind a solid door. There are reasons for this.