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Q: What are some similarities and differences between the light and sound waves?
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What are differences and similarities of sound and light?

sound can travel in vaccum but light cannot travel in vaccum


Interference in sound is recognized by differences in volume how is interference in light recognized?

Areas of dark and areas of light.


What is the difference between light and sound?

The differences between light and sound are as follows:Light can be considered to be made of waves as well as particles. Sound is only a wave. It does not show particle nature.Light waves are electromagnetic waves while sound waves are mechanical waves.Light waves are transverse while sound waves are longitudinal.Light waves can travel in vacuum. Sound waves require a material medium to travel, and hence, cannot travel in vacuum.The speed of light in a medium is constant. The velocity of sound waves can change.In sound waves, the particles of the medium actually oscillate. In a light wave, the electric and magnetic vectors oscillate.Light waves can be polarized, but sound waves cannot.Light waves travel much faster than sound waves. The speed of light is a physical constant. Its value is exactly 299,792,458 metres per second in vacuuum. The speed of sound is 343 metres per second in dry air at 20°C.And finally, a simple one - you can see light while you can hear sound.


Similarities of sound and light waves?

Similarities 1. They are the basis of the two most important human senses 2. Each frequency is associated with a unique sensation (red or green, C or E) 3. There is a range outside which humans are not able to detect them (infrared and ultraviolet, infrasound and ultrasound) Differences 1.-Sound is a longitudinal wave, light is a transversal wave (sound has no polarization, light do have it) 2.-Sound is a pressure wave, sound is a electromagnetic wave (sound needs matter to propagate, light can propagate in a vacuum) 3. From the human point of view, wavelength of sound is relatively large while wavelength of light is relatively small (diffraction of sound is stronger than diffraction of light, so sound can get around obstacles while light seems to travel in a straight line). 4. Two frequencies of sound are heard as separate components of a chord. Two frequencies of light are confused in a sensation similar to a third non-existent frequency (C,E and G are heard as the C major chord, red and green are seen as yellow) 5.-We are able to perceive the direction from which a sound come only in an unidimensional (horizontal) dimension. We are able to perceive the direction from which a light come in a bidimensional map (an image). It is seems to me that differences are more interesting than similarities. LydiaAC Mexicali B.C. Mexico


Are sound waves light waves?

No, sound waves are not light waves. The two are completely different.Sound waves are longitudinal mechanical waves, while light waves are transverse electromagnetic waves, and sound requires a medium through which to travel, but light does not.A brief outline of key differences between light waves and sound waves:Sound requires a medium (gas, liquid, air) to travel through. Light does not.Light can also be treated as a particle, sound cannot.How you calculate the energy of a sound, or light wave is also different. Light energy is related to the frequency (or wavelength, these two values are closely related) - "E=hf". The energy of a sound wave is related to it's amplitude (|a|2)and frequency.The speed of sound is relative to the speed of the observer, while the speed of light is constant, regardless of the speed of the observer.Sound is a pressure wave, a region of higher and lower densities in a material, moving through the material. Light is an oscillation in the strength of electrical and magnetic fields moving through space.They are different types of waves, sound is a compression or longitudinal wave, light is a transverse wave.

Related questions

What are differences and similarities of sound and light?

sound can travel in vaccum but light cannot travel in vaccum


What the similarities between echoes of sound and images in a mirror?

Echoes of sound and images in a mirror involves sound waves and light waves respectively being reflected off a surface.


Two differences apart from speed between light waves and sound waves?

the seriosly obviose one- one is for light the othe is for sound, if you dont know which is which then you need some help.....


What is the difference between a robin and an oriole?

What kind of oriole do you mean? No matter what kind of oriole it is, there are more differences than similarities. Robins and orioles don't look, act or sound similar.


Similarities between sound waves made by a guitar and sound waves made by a flute?

there are none


Differences between light and sound?

Speed of sound is 343 m/s at 20 degrees Celsius or 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Speed of light is 299792458 m/s in vacuum. Scroll down to related links and look at "Acoustic or sound waves in air and radio and light waves in a vacuum".


What are similarities of light and sound?

They both travel in the form of waves, and they both travel very fast.


Interference in sound is recognized by differences in volume how is interference in light recognized?

Areas of dark and areas of light.


What are the major linguistic differences between Kanto-ben and Kansai-ben?

There are many differences between Kanto-ben and Kansai-ben that include differences in words, sound differences and stress pattern differences.


Similarities between sound and light?

both are enegyboth refractionboth reflectboth travel in wavesboth are very fast


What are similarities and differences between a sound waves and water waves in terms of medium?

Sound waves can move through almost any medium, although it moves more slowly through solid medium than gaseous. Water waves can move only through air or water.


What accounts for the time difference between seeing and hearing a fireworks display.?

The time difference is due to the differences in the speed of light and sound. Light travels near 300,000,000 meters/second where sound travels 343 meters/second. Light travels almost one million times faster than sound therefore it reaches you first.